An Altar and a Chapel

Not only did St. John Kemble smoke pipes, but he also celebrated Mass. Here is an Altar I designed and made for a small chapel. The design is fairly basic but the arches make it look fantastic. Making the arches was a lot of fun, but I will have to figure out a little bit safer way to route the profile the next time I make something like this. The wood used for the pews and Altar is oak, with a deep red stain. The Altar top is a piece of marble. I also refinished the pews, and modified a pew to be a presiders chair. The Coat of Arms is a Carmelite coat of arms, and the chapel itself is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  The finish and color turned out quite well and the whole project looks great.

I'll have more pipes up soon.

The Trunk and the Branch

People frequently ask me where I get the ideas for my pipes. Specifically, I am asked if I, like Michelangelo, chip away at the wood until I bring out the briar's true form. Until now my usual response  has been a confused look and a nondescript grunt. However, after having carved The Trunk and the Branch tobacco pipe I have gained an inkling of what all that means. 

I am still amazed at how far I deviated from my initial design which was similar to Gimli's Travel Pipe. As I started to shape the pipe different and better shapes presented themselves to me from the block of Briar. What could I do? I discarded my designs and followed the fantastic shapes the briar presented to me. I am beyond pleased with it's final form, a great little sitter that looks like a tree trunk with a branch veering off from it.