woodcut – PRAIRIE BENCH

Wooden Owl Mask

by Prairie BenchMarch 8, 2014November 29, 20150

The Owl mask is a representation of a local Barred Owl which lives in our region. It’s designed in spruce and approximately 20″ in diameter. Hand carved, it’s one of our most popular shield designs. The process includes pencil sketch of the features, chiseling the appropriate thickness and then cutting in the lines for feathers. The Owl Mask is finished in Prairie Bench Storybook tones. The mask would use a peg as a handle, but for the size of this project we’re using wooden grips. There’s a checkerboard pattern on the beak. The bare spruce will age golden and it seemed to give the design a medieval touch.

#273-BL-03-14

prairie bench owl mask 273 5 — Hand carved feathers.

prairie bench owl mask 273 4 — Chiseled features.

Prairie Bench owl 1b — Peering from a spruce tree

prairie bench owl mask 273 6 — Through the eyes of the owl.

Medieval Woodcut Stallion

by Prairie BenchFebruary 27, 2014November 29, 20152

In keeping with the Year of the Wooden Horse, a new shield woodcut of a medieval horse.

Approximately 32″ tall and 20″ wide, the Stallion Woodcut is fashioned from reclaimed spruce and hand chiseled. The edges are slightly rounded to give the design a barrel shape. The finish is water-based Prairie Bench Storybook with additional light sanding inside the cut border. A polished black onyx stone adds a nice shine for the eye.

#271-BL-02-14
32″x20″ with 5% curve
reclaimed Spruce

Used Wooden Battle Shields

by Prairie BenchFebruary 3, 2014March 30, 20162

We’re still having fun chiseling medieval crests and now—battle weary shields from long ago. These are designed to look used and come with tell tale signs of conflict.

256-bl-1-14 Wooden Horse: this shield is in a traditional heraldic shape with notched top edge for resting your lance. The design is a heraldic rearing stallion. The knots in the wood aligned with features of the horse almost like a constellation. This is the fun in woodwork; when characteristics of wood mirror the project it’s a bit magical. Approx dimensions: 32″x20″ with 5% curve. Made of spruce and ‘aged’ iron handle with sisal wrap. All bolts are custom ground. Stained with Prairie Bench Storybook and finished in polyurethane to preserve the shield in its current state without need for future oiling.

257-bl-1-14 Phoenix: this is a tribute to a heraldic design on the web which we modified with a crown. A splash of crimson was added in the staining process. This shield is well used with 13 X’s scratched into the shield reverse. Approx dimensions: 32″x20″ with 5% curve. Made of spruce and ‘aged’ iron handle with sisal wrap. All bolts are custom ground. Stained with Prairie Bench Storybook and finished in polyurethane.

258-bl-1-14 Aradian battle shield: Where is Aradia? We’re not sure. However they must have had a skirmish or two, because this shield is well used with signs of swords and axes successfully deflected. The handle on this shield is made of hazelnut and includes a leather strap. The front is adorned with eight custom ground clavos. Those are the fancy iron bolts medieval carpenters added to shields and doors to dull the blades of attacking forces. This is a light, defensive piece ideal for close combat. Approx dimensions: 32″x20″ with 5% curve. Made of spruce and ‘aged’ iron handle with sisal wrap. All bolts are custom ground. Stained with Prairie Bench Storybook and finished in polyurethane.

Wolf Throne

by Prairie BenchSeptember 11, 2013November 29, 20158

Continuing with the Elk and Wolf Dining Project, the frames for the two thrones are complete. Each uses hazelnut posts with balsam fir supports. The backboard and seat are Sitka Spruce. The dowels are hazelnut and hemlock. No screws or nails are used, just glue and pressure. The posts were measured to fit then hand chiseled to fit the interlocking fir supports. No stain was used, just clear finish and some charcoal was sanded into the joints.

The hazelnut posts are grown onsite and have a muscular, sinew look with a slight purple hue. The spruce backboard is from an old log claimed from the Fraser river by a local tug operator. The arms have carved paws and there a some roughed meadow leaves and branches on the edges and seat. When sitting, the wolf appears to be looking over your shoulder, a bit scary and intimidating for your subjects. That’s the look we wanted!

The seat had a natural band that seems to create a scene with a knot moon in the background. Wood contains it’s own art, but it was fun to add our carving of a wolf. So much fun, we made a spruce shield to indicate when the Wolf King or Queen was in town. If the shield is hanging on the throne, the wolf is around.

Check back to see the Elk throne. It’s almost done.

Owl Woodcut Shield

by Prairie BenchOctober 18, 2012November 29, 20150

This is our second woodcut owl shield/mask. Designed at 70% of the size of our original owl shield, this version replicates a small Phoenician or Mycenaean defensive shield used in close contact. As a mask, the owl represents the forest watcher and sage, the wise storyteller with intuitive insight.

The owl woodcut is approximately 18″ across with a five degree barrel curve. There are no screws or nails in the design which maximizes use of our reclaimed fir and spruce stock. This owl is finished in a chocolate walnut stain and lightly sanded on the outer feathers to give the appearance of our local Barred Owl.

Signed original: #110-BL-10-12