Wand Carving
Background
Harry Potter books were among my favorite things to read or have read to me growing up, leading me to spend much of my time thinking about the magical world in which the books were set. I picked up the useful skill of woodcarving from my experiences in Cub and Boy Scouts around the same time that I was following the series. I can’t remember the exact inspiration for carving a wand from a dowel rod, but some time between 2005 and 2007, I carved a basic wand from a pine dowel, stained it, and then finished it with a layer of acrylic.
I had many friends at the time who were also fans of the Harry Potter world, so I would often carve wands and gift them to them. Sometimes I came across different types of wood that expanded the patterns and shapes that my wands would take on, most notably the one that I gave to my stepbrother. At the time, he very much liked snakes, so I was pleased to find a dowel with a knot in the middle that I could carve around to create a sort of cobra hood. I carved out the knot from one side leaving behind a very nicely curved, flared out bend in the remaining wood.
Eventually, I was given a woodburning kit since I had expressed interest in the art style of woodburning. I used it to create the contrast in the spiraled handle of the wand that I carved for my good friend from Boy Scouts. Playing with different patterns, stains and lacquers, burning, and carving new designs allowed me to slowly improve my craftsmanship in woodworking, and gave me a good creative outlet for my age. Eventually, I started in on replicating a few of the wands from the movies just to see if I could do it. At the time, it was the best way for me to cultivate my creative and constructive nature that has come to define the work that I do.