Wood Carving

From the INTRODUCTION WOOD-CARVING as an educational influence appears to be entirely ignored, perhaps in consequence of its apparent limitations, both as to material used and manual exercises involved. That it has such a value is undoubted, but as generally taught it simply amounts to keeping students employed, and as a consequence its educational value is seldom realised, because the student too frequently has no practical object in view. He may become skilful in the manipulation of tools and material if sufficiently persevering, but the realisation of an end and aim in his work may not dawn upon him whilst acquiring that technical skill. The art of carving does not consist entirely in producing evidence of mastery over tools and material : this dexterity merely constitutes the means to an end; therefore to elucidate the principles underlying all good work would appear the most rational way to approach the subject. What is wood-carving as distinguished from the art of wood-cutting? It is, or should be, one of the many means of expression. In this sense it is the expression in material form of ideas, the outcome of personal observation of nature and works done in ancient and modern times, or what we may see through the eyes of our favourite sculptor, etc., in which case we unfortunately surrender our own individualism. It naturally follows that whatever influence affects the worker's mind must necessarily affect its expression; and thus we have in the carvings of past ages reflections in the concrete of people working in various climes and in different states of civilization, so that if it were necessary for the purpose of this book, there would be little, if any, difficulty in tracing minutely, character during the various periods of history. Briefly stated, the material and its manipulation by different workers in the past ages may be regarded as a compound expression of character: in the cold, grey, would-be imperishable granite they used, and in its equally firm, severe, and unsympathetic treatment, may be found a basis for much conjecture as to the nature of the Egyptians; in the pure marble and its treatment, which requires a delicacy of touch, with a full appreciation of its nature, to bring out all its natural beauty, may be seen a clear reflection of the refinement of the Greek as expressed in all they thought and did. Brick and its limitation sufficed for earl victorious Rome until an artificial refinement demanded marble. Money could an did supply this in abundance, but it was never stamped with anything but the characteristics of the people, as historically known.