Whimsical Artists Manifesto, Part 3: A Whimsical Artist's Woodcarving

Whimsical Artists Manifesto, Part 3: 
A Whimsical Artist's Woodcarving

I've been talking about what defines a "whimsical artist" and so far I've only really considered paintings. You can read my earlier discussions here: Part 1 and Part 2.

Bob Stuart is a trial member of my arts organization, The Cosmic Cow Society, who works as a wood carver. He calls his creations "woodland spirits" after the centuries-old tradition traced back to the Black Forest area of Germany. Bob carves his creations out of cypress knees salvaged from swamps and rivers in Florida. It is so interesting to hear him discuss his process from start to finish. It's remarkable!

Would we consider these wood carvings "whimsical"?  I'm not sure if Bob considers himself a whimsical artist, but would he qualify if we compared his carvings to whimsical paintings? Let's take a closer look at Bob's whimsical carvings.

I've talked about both style and subject matter at what distinguishes whimsical artwork. Bob painstakingly carves each cute little fellow with a beard that could surely be called "whimsical." He even explains he has three styles of beard -- one is even called the Fu Manchu Droop! Even though Bob's carvings do not have added pigment, he brings out the rich colors of the cypress through the hours of his finishing process. The final finish is certainly bright and cheery.

What about the finished artwork is whimsical? Do you smile or even laugh when you first experience these cute little guys? I certainly did. Their warm personality that Bob captures in wood reminds me of the type of character I try to illustrate when I paint one of my animals.

Meeting Bob in person, it's clear his own carefree whimsical nature comes across in his art carving. I would definitely consider him a whimsical artist. Would you?

Why not register your vote and see what we come up with? Please click your vote on the poll to the LEFT.

You can learn more about Bob's work at His Website.

---Whimsical Artist Scott Plaster

http://scottplaster.com
Check out My Whimsical Greeting Cards