What inspires an artisan to create a custom carved sculpture that is not just lifelike but has a sense of vitality in itself? Custom woodworker Mark Yundt of Woodworking Studio has a special appreciation of wood’s capacity for life and transformation, which he shared in a story for The Morning Call newspaper by Kathy Lauer-Williams:
“Carving is a symbol of my own personal journey,” says the intense Yundt. “Wood itself is very spiritual. You cut it down, it dies. Then you transform it and it lives again as sculpture.” Calling his work “intangible echoes of the soul,” Yundt strives to bring life to his wood sculpture and architectural carving that can be seen in churches throughout the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia, as well as in the homes of celebrities such as Nazareth race car driver Mario Andretti.
Mark creates hand-carved wood pieces for homes or places of worship that bring together “the client’s dreams, the designer’s ideas, and the artist’s inspiration” in distinctive works that harmonize with their architectural surroundings.
He began his woodworking career by teaching himself to carve wildfowl. Within a short time, his carved feathered friends won a national and a world carving championship. You can see his gift for portraying wildlife in these elephant head island legs.
Mark’s spiritual inspiration, added to the technical precision and attention to detail honed in his wildlife carvings, allows him to breath life into his every creation. Just look at this amazing basswood hand-carved crucifix from the Shroud of Turin, a life-size re-creation of the image depicted in the renowned relic, is his “most significant piece to date.” He writes:
All dimensions of this piece are exactly those shown in the original Shroud. Significant research was undertaken to ensure the accuracy of this piece. I met with doctors, researchers, theologians, authors, and others who have thoroughly studied the Shroud. Before even setting chisel to wood, I meticulously sculpted a full-size clay model that enabled me to work out every detail. The sculpture now resides in the Alvernia College Chapel in Reading, Pennsylvania.
This article is by CustomMade.com, the internet’s largest marketplace for custom made goods.
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