Homer previously carved wood in
Old Bedford Village, PA
FORMLINE.
1.
asked if all I carved were fish
I answered a simple no
& showed a double otter
a crouching bear
to the new minister
who understands fish
as Christian symbols.
but I'm not comfortable
sculpting icons
that might be read as Dagon
reasons I carve mostly halibut
are simple: I like the form
the sense of twisting power
I bring
to a common wood bowl.
I use smooth flowing sides
to tell formline stories
in circles of cycles.
but my art is mainly fish
because I fished
three seasons
laying & picking
three miles of longline
each tide change
so through art
I remain connected
to halibut even now
when I no longer have gaff
in hand
2.
with adze & crooked knife
I reduce trees to figured bowls
sometimes even capturing life
so if one of my sculptures spoke
simple words, naming other works
of my hand, I'd be pleased
would feel pride
you would too
but if my creation pouted & plotted
& proved itself generally disagreeable
I'd probably split it into kindling
certainly would've when younger
but with some maturing
I might listen in amusement
knowing whenever I wished
I could end its contentiousness
so here across unbridgeable dimensions
I flounder like one of my fish
for even simple words
to stutter into stories
for those who would lift the sky
Poem taken from:
Homer Kizer, Woodcarver
offers
Hand Carved Treenware
Accoutrements for Reenactors and Living Historians
Collectable Bowls for Special Occasions or Everyday Use
Welcome to Homer Kizer, Woodcarver, open year round online.
We feature hand carved treenware (small items made from
trees) and wood sculpture, fashioned using traditional adzes and crooked
knives, all from solid wood, all produced in Port Austin, Michigan.
Anyone can own a wood bowl from a
bowl mill, each bowl the same or very similar to every other bowl, but only a
few can possess a bowl carved one at a time into shapes suggested
by the block of wood. Some lengths of wood become utilitarian trenchers. Some
fruit or nut or salad bowls in shapes other than round. Some are round. Many
are fish, otters, crouching bears—natural creatures indigenous to the North
woods, from HuronCounty
to Homer, Alaska. All bowls are
from a single piece of wood, are food safe and intended for actual use
Bowls are roughly carved from
green wood, then allowed to slowly dry to prevent checks and casehardening.
When dry, they are finish carved, sanded, and if appropriate, surface carved in
Formline tradition.
Homer Kizer, Woodcarver maintains a small retail presence at which
bowls, spoons, and other wood utensils are available for immediate delivery.
However, because of the months between when a length of wood is initially
carved and when it is finished, many bowls are spoken-for before their surface
carving is completed, their users waiting their delivery.
Chosen as one of America's Top 200 Craftsmen working with traditional tools
On-line payments accepted through PayPal.
Email to request an invoice
to be paid by credit card through ProPay.
::
featuring ::
Bowls carved with adzes and crooked knives in traditional styles,
Woodland & Colonial.
