Beyond the Tree Trunk Tour: Mythical Tree

Most of the carved tree trunks in London were works commissioned for the Tree Trunk Tour, but they are not the end of the story when it comes to these kinds of carvings. Private commissions have been added to Robbin Wenzoski's portfolio in the city.

In late 2011, Robbin finished a sculpture at 147 Wychwood Place in northwest London. He calls it 'The Mythical Tree'. It is a work which pushes the boundaries of what a carved trunk can become.

There are a lot of spectacular elements incorporated into this sculpture. The all centre around a medieval fantasy theme. The most attention grabbing part is, of course, the dragon.

As always, click the photo to enlarge it. The level of detail is amazing. The neck and head of the dragon extend well away from the trunk, and every bit of it is painstakingly detailed with teeth, horns and scales.

There is green paint on the eyes for emphasis, the only colouring I could see on the whole carving. Again, the long snout and swept back horns provide a dynamic impression.







The wings have no shortage of detail either. They appear crumpled and leathery, both deeply creased from the top and the bottom.

Of course, the dragon wings aren't the only wings on the Mythical Tree. The unicorn/Pegasus at the top of the trunk also has a very elaborate pair of wings. These add on wings were done in Robbin's workshop and brought to the tree later on. The Pegasus is poised to leap into flight off the side of the tree, again a very dynamic pose.

Sharing the top of the tree with the winged horse are a pair of monsters. I'm going to call them 'demons', but I'm not sure exactly what creature they are based on. They are both nasty looking critters, one has wings, the other spines running up his back. The main trunk, as you may have noticed, has been carved in relief to appear as castle brickwork.

Around the rear of the trunk is relief carving of a wizard. He stands with a staff, inside the arch of a castle doorway.

The artists signature is that of Robbin Wenzoski, dated 2011, and located below the wizard. This logo is small letters and caps, as are all of his more recent signatures. Having just been finished and stained a few days before I took these pictures, the carving is , of course, undamaged and unweathered.

The wild subject matter, and incredible execution, of  the carving inspired me personally, I created the following two impressions in Photoshop of what kind of world this sculpture really belongs in.

I my opinion, this is the very top end of skill and imagination in the chainsaw carving technique. Whether it is to your taste or not, the bold, confident form, and mastery of technique are undeniable. If you find yourself around Sherwood Forest P.S., it is worth the little detour to find it.

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


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