Beyond The Tree Trunk Tour: Amanda's Angel

There are still about a dozen carvings left on London Tourism's Tree Trunk Tour. There were a total of 19 carved from 2006-2011, but some have been removed as the trunks have deteriorated. You can read all about them at my overview page. There are, however, other carvings, commissioned by private individuals, which would fit the criteria for being on the tour. This is my first look 'Beyond the Tour'. The carving is titled Amanda's Angel, and is located at 40 Carfrae Cres.






















Amanda's Angel is one of the first sculptures of its type that I, myself, noticed in the city. It is of a female angel, crouched and unclothed, its face bowed, and wings straight up from its back. The wings are probably the most attention grabbing feature of the whole carving, they are very dramatic in their placement and wonderfully detailed.



 
The castle that is perched on top of the wings is also full of wonderful little details, with several little turrets and windows. There is even a stone bridge between two of the towers. And yes, that is a real woodpecker at the bottom part of the picture, I'll get to him later.











The back of the trunk has a couple of flowers with wavy petals, carved in relief. The flowers have painted stems and petals to make them stand out. I have had a chance to speak to the artist personally, and he usually doesn't like to paint his carvings. This was obviously an exception.

The naked body of the angel itself is hunched and hiding its head, as if crying. Of all the carvings I've seen, this one part has a much stronger emotional impact than any other for me. The skin texture is polished very smooth, and the emotion of the moment really comes through. It is obviously inspired by something like this.

The title of the piece is Amanda's Angel, inscribed between the wings on the front of the sculpture. Just below that is the Raw Art 07 block letter logo, which confirms this was made by Robbin Wenzoski. There is also a white cut crystal embedded in the trunk underneath that. The metal pieces above are the remains of a bracket, which attached a light to the carving.





I was able to find out a couple more bits of information about this piece. First off, it was set to be a Tree Trunk Tour carving, and then the city backed out. The owner talks about that in this documentary, starting at about the 2:22 mark. He doesn't elaborate as to the reason that Tourism London didn't sponsor it, but either the subject matter, or the cost may have made them change their minds. The second thing we learn from the video, is that the owners name is Jim Angell. It is certainly not unusual for a client to include a pun or reference to his or her own name in a commissioned work.






As with all the tree trunks I've catalogued, it isn't without its condition issues. The dark corners at the top of the castle have some fungus growing in them, and the finish on the angel itself is peeling in places. Like any wood left outdoors, a little time and care still needs to be invested every year to make sure it stays in good shape.







Now, about that woodpecker I mentioned above. I was quite lucky, and very shocked to see this little guy perched on the side of one of the wingtips. He was madly trying to tunnel into the trunk. I was no more that twenty feet away, and he was much more interested in the trunk than in me. It was a fun moment for me on my travels to all of the carved trunks, but I hope he gives up and finds a different spot to try and bore into.

Looking for more art like this? Well try these links -


Return to the Tree Trunk Tour Overview Page

Check out all the entries on my blog using the London's All Inclusive Art Map  
Curious about this artist? Try Robbin's Links Page