Today I went out for one of my Summer bike rides.... without my camera...dang
sooooo........
As I passed the local saddle makers house I noticed some activity in the yard..... Tim Carman was carving a bear in the stump of a dead redwood tree which set amoungst several live redwoods. People after my own heart... I hate to see a beautiful tree sent to the dump... at least save part of it and use it for something ....
As Tim disclosed he has been in and won some sizable competitions... see articles below. He is the cuurent executive pastry chef for the El Dorado hotel in Reno and has held similar positions in this area...... on the side he carves relief carvings for mantels, with his trusty chain-saw he carves trees, and he carves ice in national and local competitions.
We never know what is going to come up next out here in the country-side.... and never know who we are going to meet. What a great place to live!
Guess I better be taking my camera out every time I go out on the bike :-)
Tree carving honors Sparks firefighters
12.03.08 - 12:00 am
A tree on the grounds of a Sparks fire station may have died, but local firefighters are putting its remains to good use.
The stump of a giant sequoia redwood that once stood about 80 feet at Fire Station No. 2 on Baring Boulevard and Truckee Lane has been transformed into a work of art depicting a fireman holding a little girl with a Dalmatian at his side.
The emblematic carving of heroism is a tribute to Sparks' firefighters and is already catching the eye of community members.
"It's wonderful," Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said. "The firefighters have really thought about this. It's good stuff ... a great addition to the city. They deserve everything they get."
The station had two trees, one of which still stands and appears to be dying. The first tree died a few years ago and was cut down to about 14 feet, where it would remain waiting for the stump to be removed.
Local carver Tim Carman approached the station's crew asking what they might do with the wood, hoping to take some for his own artwork.
But instead of getting rid of what some community members told the fire department was an unsightly stump, the firefighters eventually came up with the idea for the firefighter sculpture and finally chose Carman to do the job.
Carman, an executive pastry chef at Reno's Eldorado Hotel Casino and primarily an ice sculptor on the side, has a passion for carving and works with various materials that are pliable, including chocolate, although he said wood is more difficult to shape.
"It's more unforgiving (than ice)," Carman said. "It's hard to put back what you lose (if you make a mistake)."
Carman has an agreement with Desert Fire Protection, a fire sprinkler company and the donor that is paying for the project. None of the funds are coming from the SFD, Chief Bill Finley said.
Bids for the project were about $17,000, firefighter Rich Armstrong said.
Although Finley couldn't say how much Desert Fire Protection is paying for the project, he said Carman offered to carve the stump for far less than other artists as an act of goodwill and appreciation for Sparks.
"The city and the area have been good to me," he said.
Carman came up with four designs that were voted on by the station's 100-person firefighting crew, including captains and operators. Carman made renderings of a firefighter sitting with his head down, on a ladder and holding an axe in the air, the last of which Armstrong said the crew thought might be too delicate and open to vandalism.
Carman, 56, has already put in about 100 hours on the project with about 20 more to finish the details on the carving, including burning spots onto the Dalmatian, chiseling out the SFD logo on a block of wood that will sit behind the wooden firefighter's feet and applying oils to finish and preserve the sculpture. After Carman is finished, the station will install fencing around it to prevent vandalism.
Armstrong, who's been with the SFD for eight years, has a lot of fond memories of the station's neighborhood where he grew up, near Shelly Park.
"These trees were planted 20 to 25 years ago," Armstrong said. "I remember the trees because the firefighters would always decorate them. To see one cut down broke our hearts."
Zach Larkin, another firefighter of eight years with the SFD, admired Carman's creativity.
"It's an amazing art project," Larkin said. "It's a moment frozen in time."
As for the second tree, firefighters said they still intend to decorate it with lights and ornaments for Christmas.
© dailysparkstribune.com 2008
TIM CARMAN is a 17 year ice artist who is ranked between top amateurs, ages 18-30. Tim has already made a name for himself in the culinary business as pastry chef for the elegant Breakers Hotel "Sky Room" and as a baker-pastry chef at the prestigious Madison Restaurant and Bar. This will be his first Ice Alaska competition.
Reno, NV - 2/13/2008
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, NV is thrilled about its involvement in the 2008 World Ice Art Championships! Atlantis Executive Pastry Chef Tim Carman and his team; Mark Davis, Ed Winslow and Teodoro T. Alberto, will soon be on their way to the nearly month-long event in Fairbanks, Alaska. Tim and Mark competed in the Championships back in 2000, taking home the 2nd Place prize for the Most Realistic piece entitled �Fountain of Fortune.� Before the team takes off to the Great White North, they�re giving you a chance to witness how they work. On Saturday, February 16, 2008, they�ll be out in front of the Atlantis carving away with chisels and chainsaws! Come down and check out the action in front of the fountains off of South Virginia Street this Saturday starting around 8:00am. Twelve to Fifteen ice blocks, at 300 pounds a piece, will be set up so the carvers can start cutting bright and early. It�s expected to take about 8-10 hours to carve out a Merman and a Hammerhead Shark appearing to interact with one another. So come early, and see what they start with, then check out the finished product which should be done around 5:00pm. As long as it�s cold enough, the sculpture will be lit up all of Saturday night! The team takes off next week for the World Ice Art Championships, which run from February 26 through March 23! Get details on the event at
http://www.icealaska.com/
http://article.wn.com/view/2010/06/24/Siena_shutdown_Reno_property_bargains_for_tax_payment_plan/
worked at the easel for a little while today..... this is one that I worked on...... 9x12 oil on canvas pad .....high in the Sierras there are always outcroppings of rocks pushing to a new height... this was up near frog lake.
This was a trip especially offered for photographic opportunities. They stopped the train often and staged shots over bridges and out of tunnels. It took a half day just to reach the half-way point where lunch was served. The first picture you see is the engine that pulled our train for that day. The train is fueled with oil now and does not make that much smoke unless the engineer does it purposely ,,, which he did for the pleasure of the photographers. In earlier days, when wood was the fuel, the engine smoked on a regular basis. One of the first engines used on this line gave off a very pungent odor which smelled much like a skunk,,, hence the name. In those days they said you could smell it coming long before you could see it
This is a typical viewriding thru the Redwood Forest. The loggers cut down most all the original growth so what we are seeing now is only 100 years old +/-. .... there are a few trees that are much older that were left standing. Cabins and residences remain isolated amoung the redwoods which are accessable only by the Skunk Train ..... which will stop and pick up passengers standing by the tracks.... they also pick up shopping lists and bring grocery orders to those folks way back in the Redwood forest.
One of the many stops we made for foto ops.
They did a good job on picking spots... notice the tunnel
The passengers were able to ride outdoors on a flat car ... standing and moving about at will ..... when tired of that there was always the option of sitting inside the historic passenger car.
Notice the small platform high on the tree... that is where a man with a big saw would stand to cut down the tree ..... it is pretty high up there .... notice in the next picture where the platform is relative to the size of the locomotive.
The Train Singer was always available to provide song and stories.... just the right man for the job... he was very good.
One of the highlights of the trip was when they let us ride in the engine with the engineer. He stated that the temperature at the firebox door could get up to 600 degrees and that at the end of his belly it was not uncommon for it to be around 140. During cools days it was not so bad but on the really hot days that engine became quite uncomfortable. The engineer drank lots of water. He often heated his luch by the firebox door. This was a job only for the very rugged soul.
Baron enjoyed the engine ride.
This is not a straight rail line... many curves, bridges and several tunnels. The scenery was awesome. I love the redwood forest and the train ride was an excellent way to see sights that were not available anywhere else.
At the half-way point there were a number of buildings, houses, maintenance staion and side tracks to park trains and to turnaround.
Yup... there had to be one of these to get all those chores accomplished and carry the tools.
The engineer had to hang out the window to see when backing up ... no cover on that window,
The train singer was with us for both directions.
We also got to ride at the rear of the train for a different view. Snacks were served on board in the rear car .
