Cara's Wood Sculpture
Cara wanted two sculptures for an awards ceremony to be given to two women in Philedelphia who had been positive influences in their communities. The most important thing to be informed of first, is that I made these from a solid 3 inch thick by 7 inch wide bolock of walnut, near impossible to find a single block of walnut in this size. No stack of thin boards glued together here causing striped variations of color and with the potential for glue to soften up and fall apart in a wet/humid environment. The photo bottom right is the pattern to model them after. The photo at bottom left is one of them rubber banded together holding the legs on while glue dries inside of the mortice and tenon joints joining the legs to the solid block of wood forming the body. The upper row of photos shows them from unfinished on the right to finished and varnished on the left. Each one is approximately 14 inches high.
Type
- wood
Material
- walnut
Meet the Maker
ralph mitchell
furnishings of intoxicating beauty
Working alone, I state working alone because nearly everything that I design and make are works of art made by me alone and signed by me for 20+ years, Ralph produces furnishings and signs rebelling against "mechanical mediocrity" refusing to work within the limitations imposed by machines and produce objets d'art which can only be accomplished with many hours/days/weeks/months of hand tooling.
To summarize, I am an artisan, not merely a furniture maker. Thank you for your interest in my fascination.
Customer Reviews
Charles O'Neal
Jul 12, 2017Ralph is amazing at what he does! He's timely and even though he's busy, he still replies to questions and concerns one may have. Ralph went through great lengths for my project, using processes that weren't the easiest, but the right way. He gave me updates as he went and was patient and courteous the entire time. If I ever have any other wooden projects to be carved, I would work with him hands down. I also recommend him to anyone who's reading this, his work is stunning and passionate. You can tell the love he has for his craft, and the love he puts into his work.
Paula Leeds
Jun 28, 2016I love his work and I will keep working with him always.
Tina MacMillan
Mar 16, 2015I love the cane I ordered from Ralph. He kept me updated on every detail. Listened to what I wanted and has an amazing eye for detail. I will be recommending him in the future to al my friends and family.
Magdan Cvitesic
Feb 9, 2018I am extremely happy with my custom wand. The craftsmanship is top notch. Ralph took my design and put his own little twist on it, the result was a high quality work of art. Communication was also very pleasant and precise; Ralph and I managed to find a common ground which helped him create exactly the type of sculpture that fits my taste. I am also extremely happy with the price to quality ratio this maker offers. Recommendation.
Cody Snyder
Jul 19, 2015I loved the final product although damaged in shipping was not fault of ralph. I quickly fixed it and loved the final product. He has amazing communication and paid very close attention to detail. Wasn't done in the allotted time but by no means is he to blame. He didnt wanna rush things and I have the upmost respect for that. He took a little longer but the quality of work and detail was worth the extra few weeks. I would recommend him to anyone. Amazing work!