Welcome to my Blog
This is a place where the visitors are confronted with their search for a personal touch and where they have an opportunity to get acquainted with a skilled expert, who has turned durability and tradition into a personal passion.
I hope this will become a valued and rich source of inspiration and knowledge. Please Leave comments and enjoy your visit. Please note text and pictures on this blog are Copyright protected.

Sunday 28 July 2013

High-relief carvings in limewood | 17th Century Style woodcarving | Grinling Gibbons-style foliage carving

Patrick Damiaens,Ornamental Woodcarver
High-relief carvings in limewood

High Relief carving creates a more dramatic depth. Today’s carving trend toward more realistic and detailed work often is created with High Relief.
These high relief carvings below are made in limewood. Undercutting and edges are extremely important in defining their forms.
It's always nice and creative to work with limewood, this wood has a wonderful combination of strength and softness.


 




Foliage carving in limewood
 
17th Century Style Carving
 

The application of carvings in a contemporary interior. Woodcarving is still hip.

High-relief carvings in limewood

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info

Sunday 21 July 2013

DOMAIN BOKRIJK | A WOOD CARVING DEMONSTRATION | The Open-air Museum of Bokrijk | SYNTRA - Arts & crafts courses



The open-air Museum
BOKRIJK (Belgium)










Syntra Tongeren: Arts & crafts courses
In 2013, the management of Domain Bokrijk decided to once again introduce visitors of the Open-air museum to the traditional artistic crafts and is planning on organising training courses in this respect.
Every weekend, in the months of July and August, the various arts & crafts at Syntra Tongeren will promote their particular craft.  To this end, the classes: restoration of paintings, millinery, glassblowing, goldsmith, woodcarver, etc. ... will be present every Sunday to dazzle you with their skills and expertise.

On 21 July (Belgian National Holiday) I had the privilige to give a demonstration at the Open-air museum. For 13 years now I’ve been teaching a professional course in ornamental carving – woodcarving and these demonstrations are very important in arousing the interest of possible new recruits for my course.




























Patrick Damiaens, Demonstration Wood Carving
Bokrijk

The Provincial Domain Bokrijk is currently 550 hectares in area and is situated in the midst of a vast forest and various nature reserves. The domain is mostly known for its Open-air museum. This is, however, just one part of a much larger recreational park. Due to its amazing scenery, many television series and movies were shot on the domain.
The Open-air museum of Bokrijk was officially opened on 12 April 1958. Approximately 140 authentical buildings form the core of this heritage collection. Apart from these buildings, the collection also consists of traditional tools and common implements from days of yore. 
In total, the collection entails 35 000 pieces of fragile heritage, baring witness of everyday life from the 17th century up to the 1950s.

 
Domain of Bokrijk, Belgium




The open-air Museum, Bokrijk

Bokrijk, The old town


Collection

The museum has a collection of approximately 35,000 objects. Most of those objects are stored in the new depot. The others are in the historical buildings in the museum. As much as possible, the stories, customs, techniques and interesting facts are collected along with the collections and the houses. In that way, the museum also collects (and studies and exhibits) intangible cultural heritage.
The collection of the Bokrijk Open-air Museum consists primarily of objects that illustrate daily life, primarily in a rural context between the 17th and early 20th centuries. Due to its diversity and wide range, it is a unique collection in Flanders, especially the farming & food collections, as well as the living culture and (to a lesser degree), crafts.The collection was brought together largely through gifts. Where possible, the context information is presented as much as possible, such as interviews with the users of the objects donated. In principle, objects without any context information are not accepted unless they are exceptional pieces.
The objects come from all five of the provinces of Flanders.

Website Bokrijk



https://www.patrickdamiaens.info


Tuesday 9 July 2013

Traditionally handcrafted bench | Small bench for the foot of the bed | Bedroom benches | CUSTOM MADE



Patrick Damiaens
Ornamental Woodcarver

Traditionally crafted bench
Small bench with cabriole legs

 
A classic custom-made bench would give your bedroom interior a more glamorous and timeless appeal.

This small bench with cabriole legs made of solid oak is meant to adorn the foot of the bed.
It is a rustic Louis XV style bench. (1730-1760)

Nowadays, an interior without new types of 18th century style seating furniture is hardly imaginable.

In the 18th century, the diversity in design and make was enormous. New types of seating furniture appeared, characterized by their comfortable shape and precious upholstery.
 

One of the biggest changes to seating furniture during this period was the total lack of H or X shaped joints between the legs.
The legs were slender en had a beautiful S shaped curve that gently and fluently crossed over into the finely bent front and side strips. The upholstery, fixed to these strips, flowed along this fine curve.


 



 Small bench for the foot end of the bed
 small bench for the foot of the bed
 
Below you can find a few pictures on the subject:

Carving the cabriole legs

Traditionally crafted

Small bench for the foot of the bed

WEBSITE Exclusive seating furniture