The Celtic carver

I met recently with Allen Calvin, The Celtic Carver, to talk about his marvellous wood carvings. Al’s art is the expression of something larger, however, and our conversation was devoted to life and history, as well as art. Al practices Celtic divination and finds inspiration in ancient Celtic culture. By training himself to wake up slowly and record immediately, Al has been able to keep a dream journal for 15 years. Using Celtic tools and methods of probing and working backwards into the subconscious, Al helps himself, and others, resolve conflict. He talked about the Celts; their history, spirituality, and way of life. Al is a burly man who keeps his grey hair in a ponytail, and his goatee is longer than the fist frequently pulling at it. He said he poses for other artists, and one can imagine him being used for interpretations of God, or a Celtic warrior. Al also told of a personal journey, which began 30 years ago with a children’s colouring book. After a nice long chat, we looked at the Celtic carver’s art. It was a good afternoon. I learned that the pre-Christian Celts originated in India and made their way across Europe into Britain and Ireland. They had no written language, but expressed themselves in stories, symbols, and art. Druids and bards taught a wide range of subjects, but all their knowledge was passed on orally. Much of Celtic civilisation was lost to the Romans, who had Christian monks write down the previously verbal history. The Romans and monks put their spin on the beliefs and culture of the Celts, and everything changed forever. The earth was the Celt’s shrine, and the only things they left for archaeologists to find were artefacts. Owing to the miracle of birth, the Celt’s supreme being was female, and women were equal in Celtic society, choosing their husbands and going into battle willingly. The Celts thoroughly enjoyed drinking and fighting, especially the stabbing and slashing of hand to hand combat. Al laughed as he explained how, before battles, they would get naked and paint themselves and their wild hair. The Celts believed strongly in reincarnation, which manifested into fearlessness on the battlefield. Colourful, beautiful, shrieking, charging Celts of both sexes terrified the enemy. Beyond their joie de vivre, it is the Celt’s spirituality and philosophies which seems to resonate deepest within Al. It started when he stumbled upon a children’s colouring book featuring Celtic designs. He was fascinated by it for years and began looking at Celtic art, and studying their way of life. Similar to Hindu and Buddhist art, Celtic designs weave one band over and under in a continuous pattern that symbolizes the circle of life. Al began by drawing the intricate, geometrically balanced design, and it took him about two years before he was able to carve them to his satisfaction. The precise interweaving in his work is hypnotic. Al has had a long fascination with dragons, a mythical creature from several cultures, including the Celts. He carves, then paints amazing masks and figures of flying fire-breathers, and has created dancing druids and leapfrogging fairies that crackle with life. Also from Celtic mythology are compelling masks of the Green Man, who symbolizes our connection to the earth. Al carves intricate patterns on furniture, paddles, picture frames and cabinets. Inspired by a photograph taken when she was very young, Al carved a picture of his wife, Jenny and her grandfather, an English market gardener. They are standing in a lush garden and framed by earth’s offerings. It is the only piece he won’t part with. Jenny says so. While we were looking at his work, Al talked about the processes. It starts with an idea and he gets excited by the planning, sketching, acquiring of materials and moulding. He mostly uses bass wood. Then he goes to work, and isn’t completely happy until the piece is finished. He doesn’t know how long it takes. Jenny was recently sent an ostrich egg from South Africa as a birthday gift. Al has appropriated it, and is working on carving a Celtic pattern into the extra, extra large egg. He explained that behind the tough, glossy exterior of the shell is a chalky powder which is difficult to work with. It was the beginning of something beautiful. I asked Al if it is hard to part with his creations. He said, “No, I’m glad to see them leave.” Without doubt, the Celtic carver’s work finds a happy home. Allen, a Celtic gentleman, scholar, and artist, lives in Hamilton and is available for commissions.

Image courtesy of stock.xchng.