The Basics to Landscape Relief Wood Carving
By L.S. Irish
Field Stone and Flag Stone
Most barns have a stone foundation in the North East, and in the New England area the entire barn structure may be created this way. The stone wall provided not only a strong building material but also easily in reach from when the farmers cleared their fields.
Field stones are uneven in size and varied in shape. In fact, they often do not fall into rows but become an interlocking jigsaw puzzle of texture in your carving. The stone in very old barn walls may have been laid without use mortar. Here the stones were very carefully fitted to each other to lock in place and the weight of the stones above kept tension on the structure for strength. Mortar, when added could be mud, mud and straw, and sometimes salt was added as a hardening agent.
Flag stone again through the Appalachian Mountains are easily acquired. This form of stone breaks into fairly uniform slabs when mined. There is still the interlocking look of the puzzle but a feeling of row structure will appear as your work.
Now let’s look at how different building materials can change the look of the pattern you will carve, Barn Example Drawings.
Goto:
Introduction
Roofing Ideas
Boards and Bricks
Field Stone and Flag Stone
Barn Example Drawings
Carving Sample One – Rough Out
Carving Sample Two – Detail Work
Carving Sample Three – Finishing Details