Masks
“I’ve been carving the masks out of old-growth western red cedar barn beams and posts. The wood came out of a barn built on my neighbor’s land (the Taney’s) in the early 1900’s. He had the barn torn down around 20 years ago. About 10 years ago, I asked him if he would sell or trade them. He said no. Last year he started cleaning things up because he was moving to Montana and I saw him cutting them up into kindling. I talked to him for a bit and he finally sold them to me.
Occasionally, you still see the original ax marks when they hewed the beams on the masks. Also, visible are the nail holes and occasionally a nail.
The wood from Ralph’s barn has been amazing to work with. Regrettably, I am almost out and old growth anything is really hard to come by. I have already started cutting up old growth stumps from when they first logged this area.” - John
“John does all the shaping and carving. Sometimes we talk about it. He asks advice sometimes. Usually, I say “great job”“looks good”. I do the painting. I do not ask for advice, but John sometimes gives it anyway. After I paint, John sands it, puts on a clear coat, buffs and may add a few touchups if he thinks it needs. It. We decide about the feathers together.
The imagery certainly has a local native influence. We participate in Woodfest in Tokeland, WA every year, and John has learned some native techniques and gotten some really neat tools from people he has met there. John uses power tools too –whatever works well. He started carving a lot because our son Cecil (12) loves carving, and they do it together. They have fixed up a covered outdoor carving area on the side of our Barn Studio.
John is also influenced by Chinese ceramic art – especially faces of the terracotta warriors and some of the smaller figurines as well. Some African masks as well as tribal face painting have also influenced the imagery.” - Robin
Left: “Yellow Masks with Owls” 44” x 13” x 3” red cedar barn wood and feathers
Right: John and his helpers at work on “Yellow Masks with Owls”
“Strange Angel” 45” x 17” x 5” red cedar barn wood and feathers
“Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing” 36” x 15” x 3” red cedar barn wood and feathers
“Striped Anteater” 17” x 15” x 3” red cedar barn wood and feathers
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” 25”
16”
4”
Tufted Fox
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red cedar barn wood and feathers
Left: “Owl on Top” 34” x 12” x 4” red cedar barn wood and feathers
Top Right: John at work
“Small Spectacled Bear” 32” x 16” x 4” red cedar barn wood and feathers
“Sharing a Space” 23” x 8” x 7” ceramic, metal and wood
“Another Catbird” 9” x 5” x 5” ceramic and metal
Left: “You Don’t Say, Mr. Owl” 10” x 3” x 3” ceramic and metal
Right: “Fox in Their Landscape” 15” x 19” x 6” ceramic, metal and wood
Left: “Porcelain Wall Doll” 9.5” x 2.5” x 1.75” ceramic and metal
Middle: “Wolf on My Head” 9” x 4” x 2” ceramic and metal
Right: “Sphinx Wall Doll” 9.5” x 2.5” x 2” ceramic and metal
“Talking at the Little Advice” 41” x 11” x 10” ceramic, metal, wood
“Speaking of Armor” 16” x 5” x 3” ceramic and metal
Top: “Inner Voice” 8” x 4” x 3.5” ceramic and metal Right: “Feeling for the Right Thing to Say” 14” x 6” x 5” ceramic, metal and wood
Left: “Raising a Flock” 14” x 10.5” x 5” ceramic, metal and wood
Right: “Hat for Making Friends” 12” x 6” x 4” ceramic, metal and wood
“Contemplating an
7103 East Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 www.paulscottgallery.com 480-596-9533
Astronomer’s Prediction” 13” x 4” x 4” ceramic and metal
On the Cover: ceramic and metal
Left: “Fancy Rabbit Mask” 30” x 12” x 2” red cedar barn wood and feathers
Above and Right: In the studio and John and his son at work
