Charles Smith

Charles Smith

Rankin County Ms

Joined the Guild 2023

Wood Sculpture

I live on about forty acres at the end of a long gravel road outside of Star Ms. I am eighty one years old and I am a artist. I have a studio among the shade trees near the house my wife was raised in. This is where I do my work.

I am a self taught painter and wood sculpture. I am told my style is “primitive”. Say what you want, but my stuff is unique.

Wood sculpture is something that is taking up more and more of my time these days. I walk the wood near my home looking for abandoned homesteads hidden away. I find a lot of old growth cedar and cypress at these sites. The more twisted and gnarled a piece of wood is, the better. I dig out the roots, keeping them intact and take back to the house to clean and get started on the trimming and sanding and carving.

Before ever making the first cut I give the wood time to awaken from its long sleep and tell me what it is going to be.

I use small hand tools to carve and shape. I sand in a way to bring out the color and personality of the wood. Natural color is the best. The end result might serve a practical purpose, such as a table. But, I actually prefer it when one of my pieces stands as abstract art.