Totem Pole - fantasy to reality, part 1
Aug. 20th, 2007 09:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voxwomanFor most of my adult life, I've wanted a totem pole. Originally, I wanted a "real" one, purchased in the Pacific Northwest from some artisans, but my when my mother went to Alaska, and I jokingly asked her for a totem pole as a gift, she actually priced them (the "cheapest" was about 8000 1980's dollars), and wound up bringing home a beautiful bear mask carved from maple (photo to follow eventually).
Years go by. We get this house last fall. There is this 40-plus foot cedar tree that's badly located inches from my driveway. We want to widen the driveway anyway, so the Tree Must Go. The tree is a very tall, straight tree with a long section that would make a wonderful totem pole. Then, last week at band practice, a friend of the drummer's brother-in-law stops by to hear us, and he just so happens to be a "tree guy". He stops by on Saturday and gives us an estimate that is very inexpensive (which worries me a little bit, but he says he's insured). So we're getting the tree cut down as soon as it stops raining. It seems the Gods or Fate or whatever have placed the materials for a totem pole right in my lap (well, my front yard, anyway).
The kid is mortified that I want to put up a 6-foot totem pole in the front yard. I think I'm going to need a permit from the city to do it, but I'm hoping that's not going to be a big deal.
My major issue now is learning the woodworking skills that I need in order to do this - because I haven't really done any carving of anything larger than my hand (I did carve some pocket sundials in the 1980's, and I have some small wood chisels). Do I use a chainsaw or other power tools or do it all by hand? Do I let the wood cure/age? If so, where, and for how long? I know I need to carve a scale model of the thing to refine the design, so I guess I better start looking for a smaller piece of wood of a similar softness (cedar is a soft wood) and shape to carve.
And I know I want a bear and one or 2 ferrets/weasels, and perhaps an owl and/or a cat on it, to represent the family totem animals - but the clan totem is a lion. I'm not sure how a lion would play out on a totem pole, especially since I'm going to be designing it with a lot of Haida stylistic influence (I really love that artistic style).
Lots to think about.
Years go by. We get this house last fall. There is this 40-plus foot cedar tree that's badly located inches from my driveway. We want to widen the driveway anyway, so the Tree Must Go. The tree is a very tall, straight tree with a long section that would make a wonderful totem pole. Then, last week at band practice, a friend of the drummer's brother-in-law stops by to hear us, and he just so happens to be a "tree guy". He stops by on Saturday and gives us an estimate that is very inexpensive (which worries me a little bit, but he says he's insured). So we're getting the tree cut down as soon as it stops raining. It seems the Gods or Fate or whatever have placed the materials for a totem pole right in my lap (well, my front yard, anyway).
The kid is mortified that I want to put up a 6-foot totem pole in the front yard. I think I'm going to need a permit from the city to do it, but I'm hoping that's not going to be a big deal.
My major issue now is learning the woodworking skills that I need in order to do this - because I haven't really done any carving of anything larger than my hand (I did carve some pocket sundials in the 1980's, and I have some small wood chisels). Do I use a chainsaw or other power tools or do it all by hand? Do I let the wood cure/age? If so, where, and for how long? I know I need to carve a scale model of the thing to refine the design, so I guess I better start looking for a smaller piece of wood of a similar softness (cedar is a soft wood) and shape to carve.
And I know I want a bear and one or 2 ferrets/weasels, and perhaps an owl and/or a cat on it, to represent the family totem animals - but the clan totem is a lion. I'm not sure how a lion would play out on a totem pole, especially since I'm going to be designing it with a lot of Haida stylistic influence (I really love that artistic style).
Lots to think about.
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Oh, how wonderful...!
Date: 2007-08-21 04:05 pm (UTC)Chainsaw for starters, yes. Rind off, rough sketch directly on wood, at least that's how he works... Tricky business - good luck :-)!