Age twenty, a sculptor was born. It was a sunny morning, and I was gazing upon some eucalyptus trees. In admiration of their beauty, a vision emerged, revealing a future and a connection that felt like reverence of the soul. I suddenly saw myself as a wood sculptor; it was a moment of conception. Four years passed before I actually held chisel in hand. Now aged twenty four, I was in a state of boredom and watching the youthful surrounding bush yawn as it was yearning to grow. A sawn log was in place as a wood splitting block for firewood. In a moment I felt the impulse to carve. Inspiration took over. Vigorously I thrust the chisel into the block, revealing an abstract form.

Within two years, I was exhibiting. Despite some early success, within four years I was turbulent, disconnected and worn-out. Exhibiting signs of fragility, mental strain and displacement, I abandoned my partnership with sculpture and stepped into the building industry. Here I learnt some valuable skills - I learnt to be structured, with feet on the earth. It took over twenty years to build my deeper creative confidence and readiness, finally returning the name of ‘The Wood Sculptor’ back into my life.

Creating is profound. The practice and completion of work helps to manifest the healing of my heart, mind/body and spirit. The heart is layered with defences and protection. The experience I have sculpting wood, is key for healing, transmutation and becoming. When my heart feels numb, I work through these layered defences, by approaching the body of wood as it were my own body. Chipping away layers, revealing hidden form. This somehow mirrors my nature. Trusting, with every piece I create, it’s a relationship with heart. If I struggle with a sculpture, for example, if I feel no end is in sight, I am surprised when I perform a particular cut with the chisel, exposing a hidden element, or the last stroke of the chisel that states, “the work is done”. Here I sigh a breath of release.

Connection to the act of carving is made easier for me when my mind is clear of thoughts and is focussed. I am then observing a process of creation without hinderance, sculpting in an internal zone of silence, like an observer of a candle flame.

When I sculpt, connecting with my hands, I feel a presence of the invisible made visible. As my mind flows from that place of knowing, I feel the profound spiritual nature of being. When I’m connected to this spiritual place, there is no fear, or mind chatter, just perception of the eternal moment of now. It helps me to let go of judgements and projections. Discernment is honed and sometimes I find myself compelled to thrust the chisel without any apparent logic, in full trust. This action dispels my mind from trying to control the situation. It activates a spark that flames, waters, earths or blows the work in the right direction. An alchemical cleansing.

Timber and ancestral traditions

Timber is known to be rooted deeply in the human psyche, used for shelter, tools and art. From the revered carpenters of the Japanese Shinto Temple builders, the Norse wood carvers of the Viking ship prows, to the adornment of home and temples in Batak and SE Asian culture, American Indian culture and so on.

David Puustinen