LEE'S WOOD CARVING

Lee

	There are grains of truth that each piece of wood offers up under the skill of Lee Phillip's hands and heart and his wood carving tools. Lee's best work exists in harmony with nature as he scouts for just the right piece of fallen wood that can then be created into a sculpture; each branch, section of a trunk, or burl being allowed to come to a fuller life as a carved sculptural form in his portfolio.
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	Capturing the many nuances of both material and subject, Lee intuits his creativity along an organic path, stroke by stroke, chisel by chisel.  He allows his skill and understanding of both to speak in visual three dimensional form, rendering birds, fowl, animals, fish and the human image from each block of wood There is an inherent communication between artist and medium that can only come from respect for his materials and subject.  Lee has the capacity to visualize and read between the grains, allowing his work in progress to gain artistic expression in each one-of-a kind work of art. There are several steps and methods that Phillip's discerning eye and mind utilize to coach his subject to life.  Once the cambium layer is carved away, the wood starts to express itself and the artistic intention under Lee's skillful hands emerges.  The one-of-kind individual knots, worm holes, weathered and torque grain become more pronounced and provide inspiration to the personalization of the sculptural form.  By allowing the arborescence of wood to guide him, and by knowing the history and structure of the Pacific Northwest timber, Lee is able to translate his knowledge into his art. A deep respect for wood kindles Phillip's desire to honor the living tree and its many manifestations.  As a business owner, Lee's career has been in selective logging in the Pacific Northwest for more than two decades.  On an island in Washington State, where he calls home, his roots go deep from his early childhood in Alaska, surrounded by natural wilderness to present day.  His interpretation of what he has grown to appreciate of four decades comes alive in his carvings. Lee Phillips, Artist, is preserving an art form that technology and time have attempted to erase. Each wood sculpture makes you feel an emotional response.  Lee has certainly carved a niche for himself. Written by Barbara Evans.