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Carving His Niche
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2018/12 - December
Daniel Bolick carved out a niche for himself early on. He hails from a family of wood craftsmen experienced in carpentry, cabinetry, and interior wood-design. Sawdust and shavings are in his blood. He chose to set himself apart by specializing in the fine craft of woodcarving, creating life-like sculptures of animals, both wild and domestic.
“I like animals,” says Daniel. “I grew up around dogs and all the wild animals. I have carved a couple of birds and some turtles, but I particularly enjoy working on dogs, horses, and cats.”
Maybe he’s particularly fond of wild cats (catamounts) because he was lucky enough to see a pair of them sliding down a bank near his house at Buck Creek. That image left an indelible impression in his mind’s eye and his heart.
Carving isn’t without its hazards. He laughs at the battle scars he acquired while learning/practicing his craft. His hands are a roadmap of knife-work education. Whittling is the precursor to carving. Reed whistles and walking cane handles are where it all begins. He had plenty of practice with his constant companion, a pocket knife, as a kid. Remember when we could take knives to school and think nothing of it? While he toyed with the idea of carving larger animals for years, it wasn’t until a decade ago that he made the commitment.
He says, “I saw the carving club, “Macon Chips,” at the Macon County Fair. They had a box of sawed-out starter shapes. There was a little dog. A member showed me how to shape the face and mouth. I really enjoyed it. So I started going to club meetings.” Ten years later, he’s club president and assisting others along their hand-carving journey.
Daniel enjoys his work and so do the people who watch him. He calls that a double-good. If you want to know more about the craft, see Daniel at work, or commission one of his beautiful hand-carved, hand-painted creations. Contact him at [email protected] or (828) 524-6038.
