 |
|
|
|
|
To carve, by hand and with serious affection, a lovespoon from a single piece of thoughtfully selected timber, is to enter into a tradition that is obscure in its origin, esoteric in its existence, but also enthralling and winsome in its very nature and presence. It is a tradition that has, in Wales over a few centuries or more, developed into a unique form, displaying divergent particulars according to the various whims of individual carvers. Waxing and waining over time this tradition has arrived in the twenty first century as a living and fertile means of artistic expression open to anyone who can see the value in it. The value of crafting a personal and meaningful gift.
The strength of the welsh lovespoon tradition and the probable reason for its endurance, is that it is a tradition with very few rules:
– One piece of timber sympathetic to the work, and or, work sympathetic to the one piece of timber used; a rule which is significant of the integrity of the lovespoon carving craft.
–The recognisible form of a spoon, signifying the feeding and nourishing of the emotions by the crafting of an extravagently made gift.
–And much perseverence in the carver with the work at hand, expressing the quiet arder behind the sentiment to be coveyed and the story that is to be related.
From the outset the lovespoon was crafted as a labour of love, usually by an untrained or self-trained woodcarver who had little or no prior experience. Little experience perhaps, but nevertheless the ardent desire to produce, with affectionate care, an extravagent expression of personal feelings. The lovespoon carver would put into impractical service, whatever whim might be suggested by the slowly developing work at hand, all the skill available to them at the time and all the cunning craftsmanship the timber would yield to, all to produce a wooden artwork of a very uniquely poetic and personal kind.
The Welsh love spoons shown on this site, are, unless otherwise indicated, the work of David Stanley.
Welsh lovespoons make meaningful commemorative gifts whether personally made by the giver or commissioned from another. This is especially the case when the commisioning involves consultation and interaction with the carver, enabling a most appropriate and unique gift to be given.
If you wish to commission the carving of a lovespoon as a gift or for your own collection please contact me.
If you are wishing to carve your own welsh lovespoon, then I hope you can find help and inspiration on these pages.
I intend during the process of the design and carving of future lovespoons, to document my progress on this site and in a blog. Eventually I will include patterns for carvers and some Step by Step eBooks for those wishing to do the carving of their own spoon but not the design.
Commisions however will always remain unique and unpublished as patterns.
