Dan Webb, Wood Carver Extraordinaire

When it comes to wooden carvings, there aren’t many out there who can do it better than Seattle-based artist Dan Webb, who really knows his way around a lathe and chisel, producing some seriously beautiful and intricate works of art that constantly astound and impress.

Dan – who is fast becoming known as the wood wizard of Seattle – transforms old logs into incredibly lifelike figures, a practice he sort of fell into after working as a carpenter for a few years upon graduating from the Cornish College of the Arts having done a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

His works are entirely captivating (although seeing them in real life is a must for you to get a true understanding of just how good he is at carving). Fortress, for example, is an incredibly detailed piece that depicts two young children hidden beneath a blanket, with just their shoes poking out from beneath, inspired by Dan’s own children.

People do feature in his work but they tend to be quite fragmented, either a pair of shoes, a single arm or just one leg, or even just the suggestion of a person, such as his Sleeper sculpture, which is a pillow carved out of wood with the indentation left behind of the sleeper’s head where it once lay.

One of our favourite pieces of his is I Love You, an incredibly realistic carving of a balloon that just seems to float along, with its ribbon trailing on the floor. If you have the chance to see a Dan Webb exhibition, grab it with both hands – the things this man can do with wood have to be seen to be believed!

If you like Dan’s work, you’ll love our Indonesian wood carvings, so have a quick perusal of our site to see what you can find.