Melancholy Moon

 

Materials . . .

Hazel wood / Deer hide / Rabbit fur / Stone / Assorted beads / Bamboo / Sinew

 

Dimensions . . .

Height:   5 ft. – 2 in.          Width:   6 in.

 

The story behind the Melancholy Moon . . .

 

This piece of hazel wood was found in an orchard scheduled for removal to make way for a housing development, where the trees were still standing when I gained permission to harvest anything of character. Once the wood had cured and I was ready to start carving, the gentle curve of the larger top section and its orientation to the straight section gave me the inspiration to create a crescent moon. The rough shaping took awhile given the amount of material needing to be removed, but as I dove deeper into the wood I noticed an internal defect in the same general area that I intended to place the face.

 

This is always a cause for concern because one never knows exactly the size, shape, or location these blemishes will take as you remove more and more material. I just crossed my fingers, said a prayer, and trusted the spirit of the stick would be open to my vision. As the moon’s face took shape the blemish eventually came to rest on the moon’s right cheek in the shape of a single tear drop . . . and the Melancholy Moon came to life.