Woven Wood Sculpture Preparations

I've been thinking about this woven wood sculpture that I'm going to create in the front yard. And this is a video of the process of cutting the side branches off of the main branches and then cutting the main branches to sizes that would be useful.

I've decided to create a birds nest with the larger timbers. Then I'm going to weave a nest coming out of it.

I'm going to bind the thinner branches with twine that I'm going to make from stripping some of the wood. Using some chicken wire and three posts that I'll anchor to the ground with a little concrete inside the holes where I set the posts; I'm going to sculpt three baby birds. Their mouths will be opened and in their mouths will rest a large terra cotta tray, the kind used to place under large plant containers and this is what I'll use for a bird bath.

My thoughts are to create two larger birds. One braced on the top of the nest and the other on a timber, representing the branch of the tree the nest rests on. The carrying out of this will depend on what I feel and it may change a bit.

I'm also going to add bits of things that birds would add like ribbons and leaves and even smaller twigs tucked in between larger ones with mud and leaves. I'm going to add colored glass here and there and crystals that will reflect prisms because I've always liked to watch the sun bounce beautiful colors off of their facets.

I've decided to carry through on the woven wood theme in my gardening as well. I'm going to brush some old linseed oil at the base of the wood I weave to support by beans and tomatoes and raspberry bushes too. And I may hang pieces of colored glass on these as well. I'll be using the same techniques to give support to the sunflowers and corn. Sort of weave it loosely where they will be clustered; in areas surrounding the nest. Offering a now you see it and now you can only catch a glimpse, depending on how the wind blows.

The nest will appear, looking across or down at it, as though it is on a branch over a sea of... melons and squash and a massive vegetable garden.

I decided to share this process and this video because much of the time it takes to create something like this is done in quiet. And it is done day after day. As I am still painting and writing and gardening; this too is a part of my daily activities.

There is no point to this video. It is all about the branches and the spring sun and breezes and patience I suppose. As the sculpture takes form this will be a reflection of all of the work that isn't seen in the actual form itself.



When it is finished I plan on growing lovely purple and magenta morning glories all through the sculpture. I've been thinking of planting ferns and daisies at its base.

The next few days it will be cooler outside. I'll bring the wood from the back to the front yard. And I'll be seeding more vegetables and flowers in paper cups and working on tilling the soil where the tomatoes and beans and squash are going to go.