Peter began wood carving in the 1970s. He carves a broad range of subjects but can be described as a folk style carver. He is comfortable in a graphic or mix of decorative and sculptural styles.
Typically, he leaves his carvings straight from the chisel, sometimes watercolour washes are added where it seems appropriate. Oils are used to seal the carvings and sometimes bees wax is applied to sculptures with watercolour stains. Woodcarvings are created with sharp chisels tapped with a mallet or pushed or pulled by hand. Rough-outs are done with a chainsaw and stored to the right humidity and seasoned until ready to carve. Wood that grows in the Pacific North West of North America are favoured but hardwoods for furniture and exotic coloured woods are also used.
“Usually the block or plank will have a kind of spirit which wants to come out and I feel the grain type and colour of the wood to help me choose the kind of sculpture it will be.”
