Christmas Nesting Dolls

My first big Christmas gift project unveiled. I had this blank nesting doll set sitting in my studio for at least 15 years and finally painted them with sea creatures for my niece. One of those things that gets a little out of hand as the paint job becomes more and more elaborate. I had fun with it though, there's something kind of fascinating about mapping a creature onto the doll surface.

The octopus is my favorite.

Chair Progress

Though I should be working on Christmas presents I did a little roughing on the trunk chair, both to make use of it while I have my brother's electric Stihl, and to get it light enough that I can walk it to a more convenient part of the driveway. Did some shaping of the seat hollow with the lancelot and a bit of additional hollowing on the underside with the saw. I think  with another day I'll both be mostly done with the need for a heavy duty medium sized saw and it will be relatively easy to walk. As of today it was light enough I could tip it over and (just barely) get it back upright.  

Ongoing Efforts

Amazingly no one was crushed, nor did we roll it into my van.

The seat deepened a bit.

A bit more here and there. Soon hoping to have it light enough to walk it.

Finally

Only what, two years since it came down during Sandy I started on the two main sections of the oak that stood over my home growing up.  The main Y is meant to be a monolithic chair, the trunk a mix of boards and large scale carving blanks. The main objective is of course to get it off the lawn before my father sets it on fire. My brothers in town for the holiday were helping out. Of course we managed two cuts before we broke a piece on the saw.  With the aid of my brothers electric Stihl we did make a good bit of  progress on the chair, which is almost light enough to move...

Day I progress.

Day II Dennis contemplates our efforts.

A Weekend's Tinkering

Current state of the ent head.

A couple boards cut from the Cedar lane tree,including the roughed out pieces for the display easel I'm building for a cross section through the tree.  Oh and a total mess...

Dry assembly test of the bench I'm building from the Cedar lane tree, likely with the Teaneck Public library as its final destination. The uprights are cut from a Y of  the tree, roughing these is my main accomplishment. The seat and back are neither the final boards nor the final lengths, though the general curve and placement are what I'm going for. 

A New Project

An experiment (as always). I have a hazy ambition to do an articulated full body to go with this head... Ambitious, as it would be maybe 3-4 foot.

Day I and an only hazy intention concept sketch.

Another day or so.

Random Chunks of Wood

A couple interesting shaped surfaced chunks of the Cedar lane tree, and a bowl, slated for the Teaneck Creek Conservancy fundraising dinner.

The Fall

"But when the time comes to enter the darkness in which we are naked and helpless and alone; in which we see the insufficiency of our greatest strength and the hollowness of our strongest virtues; in which we have nothing of our own to rely on, and nothing in our nature to support us, and nothing in the world to guide us or give us light-then we find out whether or not we live by faith."
-Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

Cedar Lane Oak Cross-Section

Picked up the cross section of the Cedar Lane tree today that was prepped and dated by the Dendrochronology lab at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Pretty cool, and currently taking up most of the back of my van. Interesting to see how different the size of a decade can be. This was cut from a spot that was probably 10-15 feet off the ground about half the base diameter. I counted ~180 to the hollow at the base. A wedge from the very base went to them as well, curious what the official dating will be, and the estimate for the ~2 foot hollow center. The outer corner of that post it points to about where I was born... Now to prep it for permanent display as soon as someone tells me where that's going to be.

Cedar Lane Wood Giveaway Update

Nobody actually reads my blog, but in the unlikely chance you do, and the even more unlikely chance you are in Northern Jersey, and planning (based on my usually reliable word) to come by Campgaw park in Mahwah Thursday, well disappointment strikes, all the boards were given away the first day, and only the Rochelle Park County Facility will be open Thursday giving away the uncut logs. If this leaves you totally distraught (and indeed it should) PM me.

Day by Day

Today got around to milling a couple thick slabs from a section of the Cedar lane oak. Having said this I'll likely make a mess of the next one I try, but I think I'm getting pretty good at eyeball ripping these slabs. For short ones I think its easier than using the Alaska mill. Most likely they'll wind up as uprights for one of a couple benches that are slated for construction using the mill cut boards from the Cedar lane tree. 

I also finished setting up the bench kindly given to me by a new friend.

Cedar Lane Tree Wood Giveaway

I'm repeating myself, but some new pics of the actual wood being given away. Raw logs, and 1.5, 2, 3 in slabbed live edge boards. Anyone have  crane handy and want to come for the main trunk? Interestingly there is a granite boulder lodged in it what would have been ~10 feet off the ground. How the heck did it get there? Details below.

September  2014

Calling All Artisans, Wood Workers, and Craftsmen
to Recycle and Reuse the Teaneck Red Oak Tree

Tuesday, October 7th & Thursday, October 9th, 2014
Between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

The Department of Parks, in partnership with the Puffin Foundation,
wishes to find a second life for the celebrated Teaneck Red Oak tree
announcing an “All-Call” to artisans, wood workers, and craftsmen to
recycle and reuse the sections of the Red Oak that were saved after it
was taken down last summer.

Sections of the tree were cut into milled lumber at a sawmill and
segments of the large tree trunk and limbs were set aside until a new
home could be found.

The Department of Parks has scheduled two pick-up days for people to
select and take the wood in their personal vehicles. The pickup days
are Tuesday, October 7th and Thursday, October 9th, 2014  The
locations are:


• Rochelle Park, at the Saddle River County Park.  This storage area
is located on Lotz Lane, Rochelle Park. It is located across from the
Rochelle Park Swim Club. Uncut tree trunk and limbs are available at
this location.

• Mahwah, at the Campgaw Mountain County Park. The entrance to the
park is via Fike Road off of Campgaw Road.  This entrance is north of
the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute.  Milled wood from
the tree is available at this location.

* Signs will be placed directing people to the pick-up areas.

On both days, wood can be picked up between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and
7:00 p.m.  Bergen County Department of Parks staff will assist
visitors in cutting and moving wood into their private vehicles.

If they choose those taking wood can email anthony.santella@gmail.com
so they can be contacted for potential inclusion in a future exhibit
of works made from the tree.

Cedar Lane Oak Board Giveaway Open Call

The final official announcement giving away slabbed (somewhat) air dried boards from the Cedar lane oak. Please forward this to anyone who might be interested. I saw it milled by Country Wood Products and they're some beautiful live edge boards. 

Calling All Artisans, Wood Workers, and Craftsmen
to Recycle and Reuse the Teaneck Red Oak Tree

Tuesday, October 7th & Thursday, October 9th, 2014
Between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

The Department of Parks, in partnership with the Puffin Foundation,
wishes to find a second life for the celebrated Teaneck Red Oak tree
announcing an “All-Call” to artisans, wood workers, and craftsmen to
recycle and reuse the sections of the Red Oak that were saved after it
was taken down last summer.

Sections of the tree were cut into milled lumber at a sawmill and
segments of the large tree trunk and limbs were set aside until a new
home could be found.

The Department of Parks has scheduled two pick-up days for people to
select and take the wood in their personal vehicles. The pickup days
are Tuesday, October 7th and Thursday, October 9th, 2014  The
locations are:


• Rochelle Park, at the Saddle River County Park.  This storage area
is located on Lotz Lane, Rochelle Park. It is located across from the
Rochelle Park Swim Club. Uncut tree trunk and limbs are available at
this location.

• Mahwah, at the Campgaw Mountain County Park. The entrance to the
park is via Fike Road off of Campgaw Road.  This entrance is north of
the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute.  Milled wood from
the tree is available at this location.

* Signs will be placed directing people to the pick-up areas.

On both days, wood can be picked up between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and
7:00 p.m.  Bergen County Department of Parks staff will assist
visitors in cutting and moving wood into their private vehicles.

If they choose those taking wood can email anthony.santella@gmail.com
so they can be contacted for potential inclusion in a future exhibit
of works made from the tree.

Transformations

A few shots of my solo show Transformations at the Barron Arts Center in Woodbridge NJ until Sept 25th.  It looks good if I say so myself. The church-like space of the converted library makes a great environment for the work. Putting together this show was a physical and emotional marathon. Thanks to all those who came out for the opening, and the many more who I know were there in spirit

The Barron Arts Center is located at 582 Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge, NJ.
Gallery hours are Monday thru Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m.-4 p.m.

The traditional toddler toss, a feature of all avant garde events.