James Atkin has been creating high relief woodcarvings on Vancouver Island for close to twenty years.  His calling as a woodcarver was born out of a life long affiliation with wood, a love of art and a need to create. While recovering from a series of surgeries and with a need to channel energy and frustration, he started carving. Completely self-taught, what began as a form of therapy has gradually blossomed into a passion that is almost an obsession.

Jim is both tickled and intrigued by whimsy, which is apparent in much of his work. His love for the gardens and the natural beauty that surrounds his home on Canada’s Vancouver Island are also captured in many of his carvings.

Somewhat of a purist, Jim prides himself on creating high relief carvings from a single piece of hardwood using only a sealer to protect the wood. This provides the woodcarvings with a natural looking satin finish rather than a contemporary high gloss. Jim loves the intricacies and difficulties of high relief carving. Although the wood imposes and more often than not creates constraints, it is an enjoyable challenge. That challenge requires the ability to visualize in three dimensions and to carve the piece making use of light and shadow in a creative and interesting fashion.

How do you do that?”

“How do you do that?” is the question Jim is most often asked about his carving. His simplest answer is, “I take away the wood I don’t want.”  Creating a high relief woodcarving requires a tendency to be anal retentive, have great courage and a smattering of artistic license. Not to mention a great deal of time.  This is exactly how James Atkin would describe himself.
There are only two of Jim’s carvings that took less than three months to produce from concept to the finished piece. The largest carving took eighteen months.

Inspiration

His inspiration for a wood relief carving comes from many directions: an idea that amuses him, a photograph, a moment in the garden, or simply an intriguing image. The original idea then morphs into something quite different as it slowly presents itself under the tools. The completed design is redone many times on paper until the form and feel are just right and Jim is confident that it will conform to the wood.

Producing a multi level relief woodcarving requires considerable flexibility in design and implementation. Wood likes to move, particularly when relieved during the carving process. This tendency is minimized by laminating the wood blocks, alternating the end grains while matching the surface grains and hoping the wood will do as it’s told. It is a rather exacting process. Jim’s preference is to use hard woods such as walnut, padauk and teak. Though more difficult to carve, he finds they will produce the level of detail he wants.

The carving process

The carving process is difficult to explain without writing a book. Simply put, Jim uses an array of tools to transform a block of wood into an intricate work of art. Those tools include a wide variety of gouges, rifflers, dental tools, foredom drills, fingernails and anything that will give life to all the levels of each element.

The high relief woodcarving is finished using a series of ever finer grit sand paper on every surface, edge and nook and cranny. This takes almost as long as it does to carve it. He uses only tung oil sealer to enhance the natural beauty of the wood and to protect it.

He was born in Ontario, where he lived in Lake Huron. He studied leather work and became a leather carver.

At the age of 23, Jason moved to Victoria, B.C. to study and learn the art of native wood carving. With the help and guidance of a Haida carver by the name of Randy Reid, he has achieved renowned success. He now carves in mediums of Red and Yellow Cedar, Alder and bone.

He is the sign of the Raven, hence his favourite carving.

Cedar Chest

Mask

Allan Blyth educated his eye in the techniques and craftsmanship of carving at a very early age. Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, he spent hours as a child watching master carvers restore ancient totem poles and house-posts destined for the Victoria Museum. In his 20s, Al was introduced to a master carver who became his teacher in the Kwagiulth style. He carved and painted as a hobby for many years, earning his living in the shipyards and the family business. When an industrial accident cut his career short, Al began carving full-time. He creates ceremonial masks, as well as bowls, boxes, walking sticks and feast dishes. Soon he will be incorporating metal casting, stone, bone, and other natural materials, in his works.

Mask

Harbour Seal Carving

Craig Benson celebrates and honours the creatures on this planet with his work, particularly those of the Pacific Northwest. He was born in Vancouver and moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1987. Carving began as a hobby for Craig, while he was pursuing an education in environmental studies. His career in wildlife management and habitat protection kept him close to his artistic subjects, and helped develop his appreciation of life’s diversity. After several years, his life-long interest in art and nature called him to change careers.

John was born in Masset on haida Gwaii of Haida origin.  He is the grandson of “Captain Andrew Brown” well known Argillite Carver from the Islands. About 10 years ago he started working with wood and continues to do so at his home in Sooke, B.C. where he now resides. 

The Brentwood Box

The side of a single piece of Red Cedar which has been kerfed in three places, then steamed and bent into the box shape.  When dry, the kerfs are glued and the join is drilled and pegged.  The bottom is carefully fitted then glued, drilled and pegged.

Brentwood Boxes