Fox Entryway in Utah

I was commissioned to design and build the main house entry, the guest house entry and a carved mantel, all out of solid walnut, for a fantastic mountain retreat being built in Utah. This blog is about the guest house front entryway.

The owner saw a photo of the fox door on my website that I had carved many years ago and wanted something similar. I never repeat my designs exactly, rather I take a design and change it to reflect each client and their surroundings where the home is. In this case the mountains of Utah and the foxes and trees that would be seen in that area. I also incorporated 1/2" thick carved and fused glass techniques, something I didn't use in the other fox entry door.

Walnut is one of several woods I love carving because it's hard, firm grain allows great detail, and it's a stable and beautiful wood. 

Before drawing the full-scale of a carved entryway with specific characteristics, I study the components of the design using photos taken from the area and other reference books that I have in my library. In this case, I used those studies for the fox, trees, and landscape to be able to carve and express the feeling of the fox and the trees that I am putting in my work. I do this with every project no matter how detailed or simple it is. The challenge of carving the fox is to express the feeling or expression of the fox, giving "life" to my sculpture, and not just carving the shapes.

For the glass art, I fire a pallet of all the colors I plan on using in the design in my kiln to make sure they will turn out exactly right for the project. Sound complicated? Yes, but that's what I love!