How to Carve a Squirrel
If you’re wondering how to carve a squirrel, you can get some great ideas from the following videos: Corey Lancaster carving a large oak from a willow. You can also learn from the ‘Spirit Squirrel’ carving kit, by George Hurst. It is an easy way to create a great looking squirrel. Just be sure to keep in mind that drilling the squirrel can be a bit rough, so you’ll want to choose an uncut pumpkin.
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Corey Lancaster carves a squirrel from a willow large oak
If you’ve ever visited Raleigh, NC, you might have seen Berkeley the Squirrel. Sculpted from a ninety foot oak tree, the squirrel stands guard in Nash Square. The piece was commissioned by Raleigh resident Corey Lancaster. Lancaster gathered scraps from various local businesses and salvaged the tree’s trunk. The resulting sculpture was a perfect fit for the square.
After completing the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail, Corey Lancaster carved a squirrel from a willow large-oak in 2012. The artist had been working in a restaurant for the last four years and soon realized he didn’t want to do that type of work forever. After spending six months by himself, he carved out a new dream. He began training as a chainsaw artist and eventually opened his own gallery, Boon Hill Gallery, in Princeton, NC.
George Hurst’s ‘Spirit Squirrel’ carving kit
Squirrels are relatively forgettable and have little symbolism in human culture. They scamper in parks and fields, on the periphery of human consciousness. But their corpses are abundant and make for good taxidermy subjects. Beginners should start with a squirrel for practice. Luckily, they aren’t endangered and they make for a great subject!
Jessica Watson is a PHD holder from the University of Washington. She studied behavior and interaction between squirrels and has presented her research in several wildlife conferences including TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg.
