The Old Sledge Hammer

I was looking around in my Uncle's barn and

found this old sledge hammer handle. It looked

all beat up and worn out. I could tell in it's

life time it had seen allot of work. The end of it

was broke off where someone had snapped off

the head and never restored it again. So I felt

inspired to try to give it back some life.

Now the week before I had just bought a wood

burning kit. I had never used one before so I thought

why not lets try some designs on the ole sledge hammer

handle. Those of you who have used a wood burning

kit before know that they work best on soft wood

such as pine or bass wood. This hammer handle was

either hickory or ash. It had a mind of its own with

its rock hard surface full of grain that just wanted to

take my burner point everywhere but where I wanted

it to go. The photos are a few of the designs I managed

to burn into its surface. More to come when it is 

finished.

Misty Morning

 It's a July morning on the way to work. I had to stop to get this

shot. Something about early morning mist that I think is amazing.

It's a little past tween time and the sun is not up yet.

I wanted to watch longer than I had time to.

I hope you like it.

I caught this MaMa the other day opening the door. She looked my 

way and said "Oh it's you" and kept eating.

  

Modern Viking Scandinavian House

Check out this incredibly beautiful house with

its amazing wood cravings both inside and out.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1039848@N24/pool/78681559@N04/

Pictish Stag Drawing

 I am sitting here at my drawing table

finishing up this stag charcoal drawing that

I have been working on. As I look out the widow

I see a four point buck nibbling on some

plants down by the pond.
Such strange and beautiful creatures. In a way

they are like big dogs roaming free wherever

they want to go. (In the garden too!)

I imagine the ancients viewed them in various

ways as a source of food and clothing as well

as being a sacred animal and a gift from the gods.

The stag is also linked to the arts in poetry and music

and sculpture no doubt due to its graceful form and

mysterious ways. I have read somewhere that the early

Celts worship the stag along with a variety of other animals

and thought of them as spiritual beings and brothers to

themselves. They often apologized to the animal that they

hunted and slain for giving up their life so that they may live.

I think back on a movie that was out in the nineties called

“The Last of the Mohicans” where a indian character named Chingashgook

and his white son Hawkeye slay a elk in the opening scene. Chingachgook

leaning over the slain elk tells him. “We’re sorry to kill you, Brother.

Forgive us. I do honor to your courage and speed, and strength.”

A great example of one spirit recognizing another even if it be in

animal form.

I have added some photos on Pictish stone carvings where there are 

numerous examples of deer and stag engravings carved in stone thousands 

of years ago. I am amazed at some of the detail in a few of them. As a 

artist I appreciate the fine work.

I hope to include more art work in the future. My older brother Steve is

also a very talented artist whose craft is working in wood. I will post some

of his work in the future. My younger brother is the musician. If I can get

anything out of him I will include it as a sound bit on here.

These are charcoal renderings on gray charcoal paper

This may be a rabbit. What do you think?

Last but not least. If any of you have seen the James

Bond movie "SKYFALL" you might have noticed

towards the end of the movie when he goes back to

the home where is was raised in Scotland. There is this

magnificent sculpture of a stag as you pull into the long

road leading to his house. I thought I would include it

because I liked it so much. Cool eh!

Boudica

 The many faces of Boudica Celtic Warrior Queen

Boudica saw her family slaughtered by

Roman shoulders. Do not piss off a 

Celtic woman or it may come back to

haunt you. Boudica took her revenge 

by uniting Celtic tribes to fight the Romans,

she killed thousands and sacked what was

early London before the Romans out 

smarted her in battle and destroyed her

army.

See more on her amazing story

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/boudicca/p/boudicca.htm

Who you truly are!

Every once in awhile a wave of who I truly am washes over me. A

simple statement but a profound felt experience of the

mystery at the heart of our humanity. A contemplative moment

such as this revels the truth, usually hidden from us, of what is

always the case: everyone and everything is a sacrament of the Divine.

From: "The God Instinct" Tom Stellla

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Viking Sun Stone

Legends have it that the Vikings used Sun Stones to help

guide them across the ocean on days when the sun

was not fully visible. (Photo of Calcite crystal)

Its seems some of these stones have actually been found.

See article for more information.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/03/10/first-evidence-viking-sunstone-found/