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 23 December 2012

CARVING A ORNAMENT IN WOOD | Carved Beading | Carved Bead Moulding | Hand Carved Architectural Mouldings

Carved Bead Moulding
Patrick Damiaens
Ornamental Woodcarver


Hand Carved Architectural Mouldings


Carved bead Moulding









Wooden bead moulding
The various stages

Contrary to my other blog items, the following is a “mini-item” about the carving of bead moulding. Maybe you will find this useful.

For some of us, the social media, such as Facebook and Twitter have become somewhat of a daily occupation. Everything is being shared with our fellow man these days. 

But most of the information shared on social media today is of insignificant value and hardly worth mentioning. Maybe this blog item about the carving of bead moulding is no different. 

It isn’t always necessary to share every possible piece of information with everyone, but seeing as I had already taken a few pictures of the different stages, I figured I might as well give some educational purpose to this item.  Now it’s up to you to judge whether or not this is justified.





The Interior of the Basilica of Our Lady in Maastricht
Made for the Basilica of our Lady at Maastricht , Netherlands

Over the past few months, the statue, a 14th century German Pietà, which was placed on the console inside the niche, was restored. The plinth of the Pietà was placed on a rectangular top, which is basically a sound option. 
However, the rectangular top was sticking out on both ends of the top of the console, which visibly spoiled the presentation of the Pietà.

To do more justice to the Pietà we were commissioned by the Basilica of Our Lady (Maastricht) to install a cone-shaped pedestal. This raises the Pietà by app. 15 cm, giving it a lot more charisma.

The pedestal is adorned with bead moulding. 


I’ve posted the following pictures of the different stages in the carving process of the bead moulding:



























 The transition from pedestal to console looks very natural and is hardly even noticeable.

Carved bead Moulding



 More info


 Custom-made detail moulding , Carved pearl beadings ,Carved bead moulding 
Hand Carved Architectural Mouldings

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info


Sunday 16 December 2012

Club trophy carved in wood | Heraldic shield carved in wood | Archery Club Concordia Peer | A carved Challenge Trophy Cup made in Wood



Carved Heraldic Shield in wood

Patrick Damiaens
Ornamental Woodcarver

Club Trophy carved in wood
Archery Club Concordia in Peer (Belgium)

 










A carved challenge trophy  in Wood
 









Concordia Peer has 137 years of history immortalized in the form of a challenge trophy

In early times contests were all about club spirit. Contestants were proud to compete in an archery tournament and win it on behalf of their club. Nowadays, due to the globalization of our society, our sport leans more towards individual performances. Individual interests supersede team interests. To bring about a change in this respect, Concordia Peer has commissioned the design and creation of a valuable challenge trophy. It is our wish to see clubs compete for this trophy with team spirit in mind.

Davy Leen, Chairman

History
  
It was in Peer (in the Belgian province of Limburg) in the “Groene Woud” Inn that, on 12 April 1876, an agreement was reached to found an archers’ guild. 

Archery Association Concordia Peer in 1876


The guild was named “Concordia”, which is the Latin word for “harmony”. Archers would stand at a distance of 28 m and would use bows with wooden materials that were glued together in combination with wooden arrows to shoot at thatched straw mats. This type of bow can still be admired at our present club.

Around 1880, the tradition of an annual fair was started, in which archers would compete for prizes for a total amount of 20 BEF (app. half a euro).

1900 

At the beginning of the 20th century the guild counted approximately 25 members; a number that lasted up to World War I. Yet, even throughout the war, the guild remained active.

 1926: golden jubilee (50th anniversary). During this year, His Majesty the King granted the guild the right to bear the title of “Royal Society”.

 Concordia flourished. The years went by, but not without both good and bad tidings. Due to the mobilization, it was decided during the first meeting of 1939 to postpone all festivities. Not long after, the war broke out and there wasn’t much to celebrate anyway.

1940 

During the war years, between 1940 and 1944, certain expenses were made for the Holy Masses in name of Saint Sebastian and for the insurance of the archery targets as well as the banner.

June 1945: after 5 long years of war and forced suspension, the first signs of Concordia’s revival became noticeable.  
On 10 June 1945, a first meeting was held in Café Martens Jan on the market square, no. 16 (currently "Wapen van Peer" (Coat of arms of Peer). It was decided to move the archery targets to this location. The Sunday thereafter, archery practice could commence. The number of members grew to 25 again.



Next, the club started to gain more and more recognition and soon became a nationally renowned club, known even beyond the Belgian borders.

1973: The clubhouse was named "Concordia". The club was now housed in a smashing accommodation. Owing to this, the number of members increased and the club could pride itself on having a strong group, counting 34 members.




1976, The 100th anniversary of the club


In 1976, we celebrated our 100th anniversary. During the festivities, a commemorative plaque was revealed by Senator-Mayor Dupont.

6 July 1989: the club was moved to a new clubhouse, which, in 1990, was embellished by a brick wall. The building was officially inaugurated by Minister – Mayor Kelchtermans.

At present, the Royal Archers Society Concordia, which in the meantime has become a non-profit organization, is the proud owner of a beautiful clubhouse situated in the Deusterstraat. The club wishes to express its thanks to the town council, the committee and all of our members. Proof of the fact that the club has always done quite well in the past are the many trophies and antique medals, which can be admired at the club.

The Present



Our club now counts approximately 40 members. We have competitive archers as well as amateurs in our ranks. Our members compete in both national and international tournaments. The competitions in which they participate are: fita, 25 meter, 3p and 1p, field, 3D and indoor. In the past, there were certain members of our club, who even competed in European and World Championships. In 2007, Levi Jannis managed to win the European title in the junior category at the European Championships in Vila Real (Portugal)

Location of the City of Peer: Peer is located in the north of the Belgian province of Limburg. It is known for its Belgian Rhythm & Blues Festival, the indoor ski slope and of course Center Parcs Erperheide.

 !! Peer !!, means in Dutch also pear.


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The Challange Trophy of Archery Club Concordia Peer



Turning Company Jan Vaes

The design is a challenge trophy in the form of a pear. It’s made to look as if someone took a huge bite out of the pear, in which the Club shield is incorporated. The pear leaf was carved separately and the whole was placed on a pedestal made of oak. Every year, the name of the winner will be engraved on a metal plate on the pedestal of the challenge trophy in commemoration of their victory.


These are a few pictures of the different stages  
Carving of the leaf








Carving of the Heraldic Club Shield 

This shield bears a combination of the official heraldic coat of arms of the City of Peer and 2 crossed arrows.





The emblem of Concordia Peer


Carving the heraldic Shield




Heraldic sculptor, Patrick Damiaens





Archery Club Concordia Peer




The Heraldic colors


The gilding of the Heraldic shield


A Heraldic Shield Carved in Wood


A carved Challenge Trophy Cup made in Wood

Website Patrick Damiaens






Tuesday 4 December 2012

PLASTER CASTS | PLASTER ORNAMENTS | CASTS OF ORNAMENTS | Historic plaster ornaments | PLASTER CASTS AND STATUES

The plaster-cast workshop of the Museum
Patrick Damiaens

Ornamental Woodcarver -
Historic plaster ornaments

Plaster casts of historical ornaments and plaster statues

The Museum of Art and History 
in Brussels (The Cinquantenaire )














The plaster-cast workshop of the Cinquantenaire Museum of Art and History in Brussels, the visit.

As you’ve undoubtedly noticed in other blog-items, the search for new ornamental models, designs and inspiration plays an important role in becoming an excellent ornamental woodcarver.

Sketches and photographic material are an important source of knowledge, the latter of which has become increasingly more important in the gathering of knowledge thanks to the invention of the digital camera. 


Tangible models from all kinds of material are, however, still the first and foremost form of inspiration. Seeing as wooden, stone or clay models aren’t easy to come by, plaster ornaments, casts of ornaments, plaster casts, statues and models are ideal substitutes for a woodcarver.



Wonderful plaster ornaments ,models and examples


Historic plaster ornaments




These Historic plaster ornaments, statues and casts hold great educational value. They allow the ornamentalist to truly observe the design and character of a certain stylistic period or to discover the typical characteristics of that period.

Every now and again I travel to Brussels and each time I’m there, I traditionally pay a visit to the Cinquantenaire Museum. My absolute favourite is the Museum of Art and History, which is Belgium’s largest museum. 

4000 different molds of plaster casts, plaster replicas and plaster ornaments 


Bas-relief  plaster

The Cinquantenaire Museum
 
In the Cinquantenaire Museum you can literally walk from prehistoric celts to Egyptian mummies. You can nose about for delftware and take a step back to gaze at the impressive Brussels tapestries.

One minute you can wander off to the orient and walk between the Asian Buddhas only to find yourself in a completely different part of the world the next, admiring a giant Easter Island statue. 

Not to mention the lovely collection of Belgian art nouveau…in short, in the Cinquantenaire Museum you can travel across time and continents, from prehistoric times to the 20th century. It’s a delight to lose yourself in.

The museum has a section called ‘Atelier de Moulages’ or plaster-cast workshop (free admission). The people are really friendly and you can actually purchase plaster models, casts of ornaments, plaster statues and bas-reliefs at affordable prices.



For information on how to find the workshop, it’s best to turn to the museum’s inquiry/ticket office. Admission to the plaster-cast workshop is free. The educational and cultural service of the Cinquantenaire Museum organizes tours on request.



Main entrance of the Museum
The Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels
Collections















In the Cinquantenaire Museum,you can see national archaeological artefacts from prehistory to the age of the Merovingians, as well as finds from Egypt, the Near East, Iran and Classical Antiquity. 

Among the star attractions are the collections of Egyptian sarcophagi and Greek vases, the great mosaic floor from Apamea and the model of Ancient Rome. 

There are also non-European art treasures from China, South-east Asia, Central Asia, the cultural world of Islam, America and Oceania. Particularly famous is the collection of pre-Columbian art and another eye-catcher is the colossal statue from Easter Island. 

There is also a representative selection of European decorative art, ranging from Romanesque Art to Art Deco. Among the collections not to be missed are the Mosan liturgical treasures, the tapestries, the retables, the glassware and the Art Nouveau figures.

Indeed, some of the art treasures in this museum are right out of the top drawer.

Museum website


The Plaster-cast Workshop


















The Plaster-cast Workshop was established in the nineteenth century during the reign of King Leopold II. It houses a collection of more than 4 000 casts of works of art dating from prehistoric times to the eighteenth century. 

In reproducing those works of art, the workshop’s specialized craftsmen employ traditional techniques in both the casting and the patination. 
To give you an idea of their work, we have made a selection from the various casts that they have made.

The Museum of art and history in Brussels the plaster-cast Workshop


Casting Workshop of the Museum, plaster replicas and bas-reliefs

By offering casts at reasonable prices, the workshop helps to promote art. 
The larger examples, such as busts, full-length statues, reliefs, etc., have to be ordered, but there is a good stock of the smaller examples. Indeed, there is something to suit everyone’s pocket and taste. 

Prices can be found on the pdf file and some casts are on sale in the Cinquantenaire Museum shop.

Admission to the workshop is free and the Educational and Cultural Service of the Cinquantenaire Museum organizes guided tours on request.

More information on plaster casts, casts of ornaments and historical plaster ornaments.
Plaster-casts Workshop
 


Opening hours
Tuesdays to Fridays : 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. en 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Closed on Weekends, Mondays, Feast-days, 1 January, 2, 15 en 16 November, and from 25 December to 31 December.