12th Meeting at Rachmaninoff's

Big thanks to Maggie and Matthew of Rachmaninoff's Gallery for hosting the 12th meeting of BTWC. Thanks, too, to all of the new faces who came and endured small nicks and pricks in the pursuit of creation. Next meeting soon, soon.

The concentrated whittlers sat for hours among facsimile copies of Californian aspen trees defaced by lonely Basque herders.

Adam's work. Salty chocolates on a carved tree-stump.

Abstract collaboration between Maeve and Sophie.

leaf by Arielle

Spartacus whittle

Hair-pin by Pip.

Head by Miles

Unfinished pipe by Lyle

A really cool crown by Louise

Lama sort of comb by Leonn

Whale by Laura

Kuni has made another spoon.

Daisy Duck´s shoe by Ksenia

Even Misha ventured into whittling

Julian´s carving.

Fake flute by Jamie.

Jacob's work

Don't know who did this one...

Cigarette holder by Erika

Camille´s?

Knife and fuzzy stick by Ben T

Green lime-wood carving by new Ben

Adam bird

Aspen

In the mid 19th century a lot of young Basque men emigrated to America to make a living. They clustered in the American West where they obtained work as sheep herders. For months in a row they would spend their time in remote parts of the forest with no other company then the sheep. In the aspen groves of California one can find the expression of the loneliness and homesickness that these herders suffered. There are thousands of trees marked with images and names.

A lot of these show naked women, meeting you at eye-level as you pass through the forest. The dark outline of their curves shine clear against the white bark of the trees.

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In Utah there is an aspen colony believed to be one of the largest and oldest organisms in the world.

Although it consists of 47 000 stems, it is connected through an underground network of roots. It is believed to be genetically one single male Aspen and it is called “Pando” which in latin means 'I spread'.

Long-legged nude woman. Pic from here.

Pando

12th Meeting

Bleeding Thumb Whittling Club at Rachmaninoff's
Wednesday 9th of February 6-12pm

As well as all as all of the usual activities, we are pleased to present two new outputs -- audio CDs -- one with sound work by members, the other containing sound culled from American folklore films, which could be called the aural equivalent of whittling.

We invite you to the twelfth meeting of the BTWC at Rachmaninoff's, to take part in the wood shaving, to consume pickles and coffee (sharp), to take part in the tacit decision of a group to sit in hush, cutting, cutting.

Everyone welcome, tools and wood supplied.

A display connected with the event is viewable by appointment Thursday and Friday 10,11 February.

Rachmaninoff's

First floor, Unit 106
301 Kingsland Road
London E8 4DS
t +44 (0)20 7275 0757
www.rachmaninoffs.com

Molecular carving

The geometric layering of so called 'tramp-art' reminded me of models of molecular structures so I post some images here of boxes from Folkartisans (where you can find more info on this particular chip-carving technique) and molecules from the blog Machine Phase about nano-engineering.