There was something about carving this large apple core that I found relaxing. It was an unusually enjoyable job.
The original model, enlarged 1000% and carved in stone, with a forged steel stem and leaf. Very cool commission.
My favorite 1/4″ chisel doing it’s thing on the rough out, right behind Mr. Grinder doing its.
Almost fully roughed in; carving until late at night again. Some days I have to chase myself out of the studio.
Now, how do you flip a 2000 pound stone apple over? You roll it over with your forklift, of course.
Upside down and that big it almost doesn’t look like an apple anymore. Rough out is complete.
I have refined the texture of the skin, and have eaten the apple and done my best to record the result. Time to bite into the stone.
I considered biting deeply enough to expose a seed, but decided against it.
Maryann, my wife Wendy, and I had a good day traveling to Bokenkamp’s Forge near Mohican State Park, where we watched Mark forging the stem and leaf. The stem is wrought iron, the leaf cold steel.
Mark has welded a handle to the stem for handling, and does the final shaping by hand on the anvil. Even white hot it takes some serious hammering to bend a piece this thick.
The most beautiful apple stem imaginable.
The leaf, just getting started. I love the image of the burning leaf that won’t burn.
The finished apple, ready for delivery. I can’t wait to see it on it’s granite base! Delivery is scheduled for next week. It’s very cold this week; I hope it gets above single digits next week.
Maryann with the granite base, freshly planted. The column was buried in a yard near Powell, Ohio, for decades. No one knows why. It was made before diamond saws were used to cut granite, as the bottom and top are distinctly hand-tooled. The column has been in place for the last few months. By the end of spring it will look like it’s always been there. Thanks Maryann!