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DENNY’S WONDERFUL
WORLD OF WHIMSY
By Donna Zibley
If all of our other woodworking, with its
precise lines and perfect fit, were compared to the carving of Whimsical
Houses – it would be like comparing an individual snowflake (with all its
geometric intricacies) to that of a cloud (with its soft, willowy shapes).
Denny Schuster is a master of carving Whimsical houses out of Cottonwood
Bark. In fact, if you go online and research bark houses …you can see for
yourself that Denny’s style is a definite step-up from what others are doing.
The beauty of
working with the Black Cottonwood bark that Denny uses is that it is easy to
carve. These pieces of thick,
un-remarkable bark are turned into fabulously interesting fantasy structures
in Denny’s skilled hands. The softer, lighter pieces of bark carve the
easiest, while the harder, heavier pieces of bark are more difficult to carve
but allow for the artist putting greater detail in their work.
Denny is known
for special details in his carvings:
really deeply undercut eaves on his structures and always having
either a path or staircase to upper cabins/rooms. Denny does this because he
looks at things from a truly artistic perspective – he’s always looking to
insure proportion and to add shadow and interest to his works. Denny’s bark
houses are carved in such a way as to draw you to look “into” his works. As
the houses are also carved out from the back, they are “see thru” and so very
light and airy.
There are 3 main
stages to the carving process:
·
ROUGH-OUT STAGE: waste (unneeded) wood is removed, leaving behind
carveable masses of material
·
SHAPING STAGE: rough shapes are carved where such things as dormers,
chimney, support posts, and walls will be
·
DETAIL STAGE: shingles, siding, boulders, trees, window grids, etc. is
done. Also other finishing cuts such as texture.
Cottonwood bark
grows in tissue-like layers, none of which has much cohesion to the next
layer. This makes for sometimes flaky material, especially nearer to the
actual outside bark. This makes the use of Super Glue a carver’s best friend.
If something flakes off – put a drop of glue on it and when all is done no
one will ever know.
A whimsical
structure is one in which nothing is straight and there are no flat planes.
It is one of smooth curves and uneven lines. This all makes for a wonderfully
unique, fantasy look to the structures.
The most important tools for a bark
carver are a pencil (design tool), knife, and a gouge. There are never any
patterns to follow. In fact, you don’t tell the bark what you want to make of
it … it kind of tells you based on where the natural splits are. Whimsical
houses can have doors and windows that are either opened or closed. Their
chimneys have wonderfully crooked shapes that are covered with lopsided
bricks. The chimney caps are even scorched so that they look like old, used
chimneys. The stairways on these houses take the house to another level, both
literally and figuratively. They can be winding, come in from the front, side
or back. Whimsical bark carving can be used to make houses, cabins,
outhouses, churches, castles, lighthouses, etc. The typical whimsical house
is 3-sided but it is also possible to make a 4-sided house using Denny’s
special techniques. “Evolutionary Design” is Denny’s term for how he carves.
The wood tells you the maximum width but you decide where such things as the
roof peak and the foundation is to be found.
Denny is a fellow member of the North
Star Scrollers but is also the outgoing President of the Viking Woodcarvers.
In addition to leadership, Denny is also a fantastic teacher. His style is
relaxed and stress-free. He will first guide you through the proper and safe
use of carving knives. He will also guide you artistically. Denny doesn’t
make you carve exactly like him. Instead, he gives you the guidance you need
to carve his way but in your own unique style. Having carved, under Denny’s
guidance for about a year I can tell you that a class with Denny is fun,
relaxed and a great learning experience. Denny has the unique ability to
critique your work honestly (like when my first carved boulders looked to him
like “turds on a wall”) but in such a way that you all end up laughing about
it. If you get a chance to take a bark carving class from Denny, please do
so. He’s a great woodworker, teacher and friend. Our club benefits greatly
from having one such as Denny Schuster in our midst.
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