Sculpture and James Staines

I pulled my big book of Romanesque Art off the shelf for inspiration on how to cave St. Francis. (I swear half the work of wood carving is thinking about it long before I ever pick up my chisels!)

Tucked inside was a tear sheet from Flexcut Carving tools 2005 catalog, featuring the work of James Staines on the cover, and three small images of different carvings inside. They're brilliant. David Benner of Flexcut loved the sculpture "Woman in Care" so much that he bought it and featured Staines work in the catalog.

All photos from the artist's website See better photos there.

WoodCarver Magazine reviewed the carving, the winner in the professional category, saying "My jaw dropped when I saw this carving. .. More thant anything I had a sense that every tiny part, from the way the fingers impress the cloth on the thighs to the beautiful curve of the back, from the subtle colors in the uniform to the tension in the lips and the character fully realised in the eyes _ everything has been rendered exactly, and simply so. There is nothing to be added or changed. Just loved it".

Woman in Care by James Staines 2005


"Return to Ithaca" by James Staines.

Each wood carving has a wonderful simplified but very quirky individuality.Artless simplicity is a hard thing to do, but Staines is a total pro. Very post-Romanesque. Clues and good inspiration to how I need to proceed with my own carving.