Kingfisher

This is one of my first ship portraits. Like many firsts, there are some things to like and others to hate.

Let’s start with a descrcripion of what is going on in the carving:

The hull and background are on a piece of scrap white pine. The sails and cabinwork are cherry. And the spars are some thin doweling I had lying about the shop.

The Kingfisher was an early steam dragger (its fishing net was dragged near or on the sea bed), so there were wire “gallows” from which the”doors” of the net hung ( the fishing net was suspended between two door-like wooden frames).

I was pleased with the final piece and decided to keep it, as a sample. Eventually I decided to clean it up, and mount it for hanging when other people admired it.

That’s where the part of not liking it came in. I carved it on scrap as a practice piece, so I wasn’t careful about giving the carving any negative space around the ship. The final result is that it feels cramped and crowded.

It hung around unframed for a long time until I experimented with making frames. Since I had this on display, and it was handy, I sized the framing project to its dimensions. Now comes the second round of like and not like issues. The frame pleased me, but afterward, I noticed the mahogany framing overwhelmed the already cramped carving.

I took this piece with me to carving classes as an example of what worked and what didn’t. If you are an artist or crafter, it’s inevitable that you eventually turn out a piece that you love to hate or that just irks your sensitivities. You see the potential, and you also see where it falls short. It’s a good reminder to you about what does and doesn’t work as a design.

There are some additional reasons why Kingfisher is on prominent display in my living room rather than stuck away. It concerns a concept from martial arts called “beginner’s mind.” The rationale behind beginner’s mind is that when we begin something new, we lack the technique we’ll gain through practice. We also have an uninhibited view of what we are doing. It’s not overlaid with all the instituted prejudice of years of practice – its fresh and maybe a bit bold. Martial artists frequently look to beginner’s mind as a way to refresh their view of the art. So should we. So, I keep Kingfisher around for perspective on where I’ve been, and occasional insight into where i may go.

The temptation is to burn a piece like this, but don’t. It’s too good for that. Enjoy it for what’s good in it, and remember to avoid the short fallings.