December, last year, my most ambitious and detailed wood carving of a cover album to date had been sold. Physical Graffiti challenged me like nothing artistically had before and it hung proudly in my wall for 23 years. It was bitter-sweet. I was proud of my work and pleased that someone else was in love with it like I was. At the same time, it was a labor of love, a part of my home and a reminder of what I strove to accomplish as an artist.
That’s why I needed to do this again. I still have the hole in my wall, knowing that one day, I would make a new one and, honestly, I couldn’t wait. I started nearly immediately! The last one took me approximately 6 months. Starting in January, I am finally nearing completion. With what I still need to do before I build the frame onto it, I expect it to be done and in my wall by end of October.
Unlike the last one, I have some pictures I took along the way that either I or my daughter took. I don’t normally share the process publicly but this piece, this second Physical Graffiti means a lot to me and I want to share the labor and passion that I have put into it along the way.
Bruce J Schmalfuss 