DufferHead - 2006

This is the first of five spalted pecan chunks that is becoming the family tree of the OHHH SHOW. It is from the trunk of a large pecan tree that tumped over during a Florida hurricane. My friend, Bob Heim processed the tree for fire, and sent the trunk pieces home with me for sculpture. 

Sampling the surface, it was obvious that the pecan had some figure, and figure it has. DufferHead came from close to the stump base and is highly spalted by what appears to be more a case of lawn chemicals rather than water, or maybe a combination of both. 

This head evolved out of the wood without design except that it was going to be a head. I did not know what I was doing after a third work stint post-Katrina in Louisiana—I just started whacking at it for decompression. It was the first time for ears and I still consider carving them off for the sake of a better looking sculpture; but ugly is ugly.