WOOD CHIP SCULPTURES

 A friend sent this to me, and since I've been out of town for the last few days and have over 130 e-mails to deal with, I'm stealing the story.

Sergei Bobkov, 53, has patented a unique technique for creating sculptures out of Siberian cedar wood chips.    
    

“It’s not very interesting to do what others can. To create something out of nothing in a completely new way is far more inspiring.” This is how Sergei Bobkov explains the unique form of art that he created. He says many people compare his artworks to taxidermy, because they both look so much like the animals they replicate, but Sergei believes they are as different as light and darkness. Whereas taxidermy is all about death, his wood-chip art symbolizes life.

     This resident of Kozhany , Russia , has developed his very own technique that prevents wood-chips from falling apart in time. After creating about 100-150 chips, from 2-3 inch long cedar stick, he puts them in water for several days. Then, making use of his surgical precision, he carves the chips into any shape he needs.

     Sergey has been doing this for some time now, but he has only created 11 wood-chip sculptures. That’s because just one of these incredible artworks takes around six months to complete, at a work rate of 10 to 12 hours a day, with no days off.  Sergei Bobkov focuses on wildlife creatures, and he studies their anatomy for months before starting work on a sculpture.

     Even though he was offered $17,000 for his wood-chip eagle, Sergei’s Bobkov declined, saying his art is not for sale.