Convergence

This Wood Sculpture is made from Spalted Maple. Spalt is a term used to describe the departure from the normal appearance of wood as part of the beginning of decay.  It is highly prized for the variations of color and grain staining that occurs as it ages in a wet state naturally in the outdoors.  The trick is to get to it for carving while the wood still has substance enough to be carved.  It is trickier still to dry it to a state where it becomes stable with its surroundings and no longer shrinks dimensionally.   This generally takes about two years for a piece this size.