Terminology
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2d Abbreviated designation for two-dimensional art, art which lacks physical substance of form and generally requires a wall mount for support when displayed. Examples include: painting, drawing, lithograph, and photography.

3d Abbreviated designation for three-dimensional art, art which is represented largely through form and shape and is usually free standing. Examples include: blown glass, ceramics, sculpture, wood turning.

board foot A measurement  term used to determine the amount of lumber available in a log.  Most hardwood lumber is sold by the board foot  rather than lineal foot, as is the case for dimensional lumber in the construction trade. A board foot is defined as 12'' x 12' x 1" thick.  Therefore a cubic foot of hardwood would contain 12 board ft.

carvability  Not a word I have been able to find in any dictionary though it should be there. For lack of any other term to describe the cumulative traits that make a piece of wood desirable for carving sculpture I will use this.

carv·ing   Pronunciation: 'kär-vi[ng]Function: noun Date: 13th century
1 : the act or art of one who
carves
2 : a
carved object, design, or figure

check Pronunciation: `chek   Function: noun In wood, separations of the wood fibers, normally occurring across or through the annual growth rings, and usually as a result of seasoning. They may occur anywhere on the piece.

en·grave
Pronunciation:
in-'grAv, en-
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): en·graved; en·grav·ing
Etymology: Middle French engraver, from en- + graver to grave, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English grafan to grave
Date: 1509
1 a : to form by incision (as on wood or metal) b : to impress deeply as if with a graver <the incident was engraved in his memory>
2 a : to cut figures, letters, or designs on for printing; also : to print from an
engraved plate

freedom of composition   Describes the the lack of encumbrances, both physical and/or mental which would otherwise inhibit the artists ability to freely compose from his imagination. Negative factors might include limitations imposed by the materials being used for the composition (physical) or specifications imposed by an individual as in the case of a commissioned work (mental).

in·cise
Pronunciation:
in-'sIz, -'sIs
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): in·cised; in·cis·ing
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French inciser, from Latin incisus, past participle of incidere, from in- + caedere to cut
Date: 1567
1 : to cut into
2 a : to carve figures, letters, or devices into :
ENGRAVE b : to carve (as an inscription) into a surface

in·ta·glio
Pronunciation:
in-'tal-(")yO, -'täl-; -'ta-glE-"O, -'tä-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -glios
Etymology: Italian, from intagliare to engrave, cut, from Medieval Latin intaliare, from Latin in- + Late Latin taliare to cut -- more at
TAILOR
Date: 1644
1 a : an engraving or incised figure in stone or other hard material depressed below the surface so that an impression from the design yields an image in relief b : the art or process of executing
intaglios c : printing (as in die stamping and gravure) done from a plate in which the image is sunk below the surface
2 : something (as a gem) carved in intaglio

relief   Term, from the Italian rilevare (to raise), applied to sculpture that projects from a background surface rather than standing freely.  According to the degree of projection, reliefs are usually classified as high, medium, or low relief.

shake This term in general refers to any separation or opening in a piece of wood that does not go entirely through the piece.  This description would allow the term to be applied correctly to reference a check, though it seldom is, perhaps since the term check is more case specific.  It has been my experience that the term shake commonly  refers to a crack or separation that does not pass through the center of the tree but rather remains tangent to it.

sculp·ture     Pronunciation: 'sk&lp-ch&r Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin sculptura, from sculptus, past participle of sculpere to carve, alteration of scalpere to scratch, carve
Date: 14th century
1 a : the action or art of processing (as by carving, modeling, or welding) plastic or hard materials into works of art b (1) : work produced by sculpture (2) : a three-dimensional work of art (as a statue)
2 : impressed or raised markings or a pattern of such especially on a plant or animal part

woodcut     Term applied to the technique of making a print from a block of wood sawn along the grain and to the print so made.  It is the oldest technique for making prints. The block is gouged out as in relief carving but leaving enough of the flat upper surface so as to allow it to receive ink from a roller. Paper is then placed on the block and pressed to receive the ink.  The design produced on the paper is a mirror image of the the design which is carved in the block.

SourcesThe Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Franklin electronic;   The Oxford Dictionary of Art, Oxford University Press 1997;  The Encyclopedia of Wood, Sterling Publishing Co. Rev. 1987;   A World of Art, Henry M. Sayer, Prentice Hall 1994;  The Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms, New York Graphic Society Rev. 1979 ,   The Complete Dictionary of Wood, Thomas Corkhill, Dorset Press 1979

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