The above are eight turned pieces from a single 24″ section of a 24″ diameter white oak from Boaz, Kansas. The tree fell over and across the Van Horn Branch Creek about 10 years ago- We finally pulled the log out 2 years ago, and it has laid in my log pile since then, although I did mill a portion of it. The heart wood is still green, so these bowls were turned green and allowed to warp as they dried. Ultimately all the pieces were exposed to ammonia vapors (fumed) which reacted to the tannins in the wood, darkening the surfaces.
land
Husbandry in Harvest
Sally In The Garden, traditional fiddle tune performed on banjo and fiddle
Holy, the Lesser Saints
the lesser saints
weave their quiet
agile stories
amongst the lives
of greater lights
holy, the lesser saints
the color
upon their brows
they do not cry out
they do not turn
hearts raised like rafters
heavenward
forever orbiting
tireless in quest
the sphere of your glory
to enter and remain
bring newer life
from ancient tribes
all in anticipation
groaning in the yearning
their own eternal ribbon voice
those who have ears…
let them hear
holy, the lesser saints
bring your longing
bring your capacity
for fullness
in the life of the soil
countless prophets
behold and know
see and have understanding
awaken, members of wholeness
you are provision
you are appointed
little lights, you are His
lesser saints
holding up mountains
echoes of distant voice
priests of the eternal present
fierce and strange
are the quiet ones
in silent witness
givers of the heart of God
receiving and giving from the heart of God
celebrating mystery in plain-ness
in infinite variety and order
teach the spiritual truths of rest and labor
sweat and awe
all from silent knees and horns
in the unending world, glory will be known forever
Bodark Obed Edom
Print of Obed Edom framed in a re-purposed osage-orange (hedge, bodark, or bois d’arc) fence post
The Eternal Present
Summer waxing
into eternal presence
ancient thunder quivers along the crust
twinning amongst and toppling titans
the smallest witnesses quiet as their gaze
oldest of fault lines wrought with terror for men
Ragnarok not yet come to cleave a line between
the fruits of Eden and the curse
brothers old as Abel and Cain
approach the day with a steady gate
mend the tack and the linkage
the work the day is ready to hand
unfold unfold great sheets unfold
the heavens rain diamonds from the mouth of God
the rye bends, the wheat and barley bend, the corn the teff bend low, below
rust and blood speak and spin
the day is new again
tension speaks in unheard frequencies
felt, like order drawn from skeins of chaos
a fragment of destiny
order from a mystic mind
elder memories
ancient fodder, best fodder
tools for the telling of
tools for the remembering of
the days when Noah stored up faith
quieted his family with peace
as the rim of the earth spilled over
rolling stones
adjoining man with the presence
again, Noah enters day
moored, listening
breathing presence in
wrested in grace
see how the earth remembers differently
manifest ancient eternal presence
Place
“Rootrill” I hope that you will forgive me for posting an eleven minute song in the twenty first century. Mostly, I hope that you enjoy it.
arc contain glow
seen through scene
bois d arc meteorite
slanting even evening light
ancient bone star dust
deere ghost sheep goat add straw and mix well
cross turn
years unfurl in the eternal present
young hands dextrous
core sample of stored solar energy
made vacant for gold
quince roots herbs leg
reamed tapered tapped turned twisted sunk fitted formed around
concentrate earth line essence
absorb the sun and use it for life
pull transfer motion
dividing even unto cambium and xylem
layers and layers
learn purpose practicing discipline
stop motion
frozen movement osage root as it once reached
three forms of light
hand in hand you who once swayed
ancient releasing story
the turning of light upon the solar bank countless voices scratch and turn
golden hands once full wait for wisdom
new moon forest window
tall down cut stack turn stack down
erth-maker here we bend here we grow
establish converge into order dust scratcher
welcome the new bird and fare thee well
Wood Fire
Lift Earth Rise , compositional sketch on guitar
small eyes wonder
A five year old little girl with a pension for the aesthetics of random objects
while carving walnut to look like earth
of the golden dust of osage
he discovers eggs make lovely lanterns
walk out to find these things from my Goldsworthy protégée
the horse rolls out, making its provision and fuel
Quercus rubra holds Quercus alba for a shave
showing how much learning is found when a draw knife pulls through the grain
and much beauty in the life of trees
yielding four legs from the rugged giant of civilization (that is Mr. Q. Alba)
back to the door. routing tongues and tenons, applying coiled energy to transferred pattern
every fit feels like a miracle
and the two become one
“Onforan” becoming a door, framing a passage
embers stirring embers
into the incense of fearless youth
a seed within a seed, life and healing travel in a mysterious shell
later, the arrangement has changed, she’s at it again
meanwhile, nature imitates nature
round violently became flat, then eases its way into concavity
green tips taken by the hoof-shod
the edges wound-up by the steel-shod
summits of pollen-yellow splendor arise from the dust
in a moment, history and beauty merge and glow
while the broad axe composes its song
as it was written in fire
as it was written in wood
Sprout
“Sprout”, pear wood
Walking Man of the Roots
Walking Man of the Roots
Walkning Man of the Roots, detail
Go On, Obed Edom
For many years the story and name of Obed Edom have struck deeply within me. His story in the bible is pretty short. As with many things I have tried to make my work a path into exploring this mystery. This print is now finished. To go along with its completion, I have included a song that I wrote a number of years ago of the same subject and with the same goal in mind. I hope that they are moderately fitting accompaniment to a powerful story and special man who I know very little about.
“I Chose You, Obed Edom” linocut, 12″x18″, sepia ink on French’s Durotone paper
eyes and burning “V”, feather, wheat and cedar sprig in his head covering.
Cherubim and Mercy Seat
Obed Edom’s right hand
three birds in his beard
The Holy Ghost’s wild goose, and sleeping kestrel
The School of the Transfer of Energy 