This page
documents the stages in the creation of a woodcarving of the 19th century priest and
teacher, St. John Neumann.
The statue, hand-carved in basswood and standing four feet in
height,
is a commission for St. Mary's of the Assumption Church, located in Lancaster, NY. |
John Neumann was born on March 28,
1811, in Bohemia. He studied for the priesthood at the University of Prague. His
ordination was put off indefinitely because the diocese had enough priests at the time.
He decided to become a missionary to the United States and was ordained in
1836, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City. He became pastor to the Niagara frontier,
then an undeveloped tract of forest, dirt roads, and scattered settlements. He walked long
distances, in rain or snow, to visit the sick and serve mass. He was slight of build, but
sturdy, enduring many hardships to serve the poor.
In 1852, he was appointed bishop of Philadelphia, where he was the
first to organized a diocesan school system.
He founded a religious order for women, the Third Order of St. Francis of
Glen Riddle, in 1855.
He died of apoplexy at age 49, on January 5, 1860. |
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"Only a poor priest, one who can endure hardship,
can labor here. His duties call him far and near... he leads a wandering life.
There is no pleasure, except the care of souls..."
from John Neumann's diary about his mission on the Niagara frontier |
The plasteline maquette used for taking accurate measurements to enlarge
the final woodcarving.
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| Four inch wide
basswood boards are glued together to make the 4 foot high block. Several cuts have been
made with the chain saw. |
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I begin
establishing the basic shapes by defining planes with the large gouges. Careful
measurements from the maquette are crucial now. |
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| After the large forms
have been established, the medium size details are defined. Contently drawing on the wood,
I recheck measurements. |
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Visually check the
carving against the clay model. I do not undercut any edges and leave extra material in
areas where I am unsure. |
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| Once the proportions are
correct, I can begin cutting in details. |
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Develop the figure so that the
whole carving is always at the same stage of completion. |
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| The carving is finally completed. |
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The face and hands are sanded,
the texture of the chisel marks are left on the rest of the figure. |
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| A wood sealant (to provide more
even staining) is brushed on before spraying with a Minwax stain. |
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For the finish, I applied
three coats of Minwax Wipe-on Polyurethane (clear satin). |
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