What are nature markers anyway?
Nature markers, or wildlife markers, are large sculptural pieces of wood, sited into the earth. They add a focal interest to trails, wooded areas, parks and gardens. I am discovering that they are very adaptable. You can add bits or change bits to give them a new function. There is an educational aspect as well as their aesthetic appeal. The carvings highlight indigenous species of flora and fauna that bring attention to our vanishing wildlife.
The appeal of working in wood
In my recent work, I have been becoming more involved with wood and in creating large nature markers and totem poles. Wood is a great medium. It is natural and each piece has a different personality. Yes, it does split and there are often imperfections in it, but that is what gives it its character and its shape. And rising to the challenges that these quirks produce is what makes it so interesting to work.
That reminds me of an artist I knew. It was his first few days at his studio in Carrara, Italy where he had come to paint for the summer. I asked him how he was getting along. “It is going okay,” he said, “but I am still waiting for the accidents to happen!” To him that was the best part! Working with wood is similar but the “accidents” are inspired by nature.
I also like working with wood because it is ecologically friendly and links to the natural environment and the creatures that live there. And of course, it is sustainable too.
Three nature markers and a table
One recent commission I did was for the parish council in Charlton Down, Dorchester. They asked me to make three nature markers and a leaf-shaped table for the village wildlife reserve that is adjacent to a communal apple orchard. The reserve occupies a lovely space – grassy and open with a pond and small oak bridge all surrounded by trees. It is a wonderful place to eat lunch or have a picnic. So with this in mind, my client and I decided to keep the size and shape of nature markers but add seats to them to provide a seating area around the table.
How I turn tree trunks into artwork
Normally I make nature markers about 4 to 6 feet high (with another 2 – 3 feet to go underground) and I did the same for this project. I choose healthy looking trunks with some charisma, avoiding the ones that are completely straight. The wavy edges and difference in width makes them more appealing and varying the heights slightly all adds visual interest.
At the timber yard, they hoist the selected trunk onto the sawmill with a tractor and turn it until we have found the best face to cut. The first couple of lengthwise slices remove the bark and sapwood so we can see the condition of the wood and what we have to work with. I can get up to two cuts with a 4-inch depth from each trunk. If I have two pieces the same, I can turn one of them upside down so they look different. Sometimes of course, the tree has strategic faults in it so I will have to abandon it for a new one. In this case I used a different piece of oak for each of the three marker/seats and a fourth piece for the table.
As for much of the wildlife carving that I do, for Charlton Down I carved each nature marker/seat with a design based on the local wildlife. My client and I chose a buzzard, the Adonis butterfly and a frog – all regularly seen in the area. I chose a long leaf shape for the table that complimented the dimensions of the wood that was available to me. I try to make the designs simple and bold so the subjects are easy to distinguish and I avoid highly detailed ones like bluebells, for example, as they are hard to make out at a distance and are very time consuming to carve. One of the real perks of wildlife carving is learning about the species that are indigenous to each area and how they are different to other similar species. I often work in oak, as it is a beautiful wood and a joy to carve with its tight grain. It is exceptionally durable too. Oak carvings can easily last 20-30 years outdoors with just a little bit of upkeep.
How I ended up with an en plein air workshop
I did the work for this commission, plus subsequent ones, outdoors in the garden. This was plan B. Plan A was working in the studio which is much more practical weather wise but not at all practical in other respects. For the last few years I did the carving here but in the end it was just too daunting a struggle to shift 8-foot slabs of tree up and down the winding staircase even with the best of help. Working in the garden was not ideal, but it was successful enough unless it rained. A gazebo helped but I had to chase it over the neighbour’s fence more than once when it took off in a strong wind.
Cutting off the big bits
After I brought the oak from the sawmill to my “garden studio”, I used a chainsaw to cut off the sapwood, carefully following the shape of the hardwood. I use a chalk line to mark the centre line so if the end is not right angles to the line, I can trim that off too with my chainsaw. For the table, I drew a giant leaf shape on the wood following the contours as much as possible to avoid wastage. Next, with my chainsaw, I cut out the design. Somehow, is spite of careful preparation, I managed to cut into some aluminium steps with the chainsaw, which luckily didn’t affect their function. I have a chainsaw license and wear full protective gear but it just goes to show how careful you have to be with such a dangerous tool.
Tackling the design and carving
I set the nature markers up on bankers in the garden and then began work on the designs. I’ll either draw them on freehand or use carbon paper to transfer them onto the wood. Then, I will begin the carving, cutting straight down with a v-tool or straight chisel, gradually rounding it up and finally putting in the detail. This could take anywhere from two days to five for each nature marker, depending on the subject matter, the wood and the type of commission. Totem poles take a surprisingly longer time to carve, as there is a lot of wood to remove between the designs.
To make it stand out from the background, I paint the finished carving with water-based wood dye of different shades. I vary the intensity by adding more or less water. I try to keep it as subtle as possible so the colour doesn’t detract from the natural quality of the wood. For the Adonis Blue butterfly I needed to paint it more vividly as it is mainly its colour that identifies it clearly from similar species.
The finishing process and adding the seats
In this case I worked on the body of the markers last, knowing that it would be more difficult to do once the seats were attached. I begin the finishing process with a planer to remove the saw cuts and I attack the sides with an angle grinder and 40-grit disc. Then I go up the grades of sandpaper with the belt sander and the angle grinder until I end up with a smooth finish.
If I do the finishing work after the carving, I have to make sure to cover it up well so that the sanding grit does not get on it. If there is any moisture in the air the particles react with it and I end up with lots of black specks peppered over the design that have to all be carved off again. These pesky black dots are difficult to avoid even when I protect the area with food wrap, bubble wrap and Cyril’s old pyjamas. It seems that particles of stray metal and grit, reacts with the tannin in the wood and moisture in the air to stain it.
I had planned to add the seats to the nature markers myself but due to other commitments I asked Steve, the carpenter, who doubles as a wood mizer operative and arborist, to shape and mortise the seats into the marker. They fitted superbly with the rest of the work, complimenting the look and feel of the project.
With everything finished and delivered it only remains to install the markers in their new home. Weather permitting; this is planned for the spring of 2010 when the ground is dry, the sun is out and the birds are singing.