APPELMAN Family Coat of Arms – Family Emblem | Wooden heraldry | Commission a wooden family coat of arms or emblem

 

APPELMAN Family Coat of Arms – Family Emblem 

 Commission a wooden family coat of arms or emblem

In 2026, I had the honour of being commissioned to carve a family emblem – a coat of arms – to be crafted from lime wood. This coat of arms was slightly larger than usual (60 cm high) and presented some technical challenges during its creation. This lime-wood emblem reflects the values and history of this Dutch family.

Out of respect, we cannot share their personal details or family history. One interesting detail, however, is that the design was created by the client using ChatGPT; this was my first experience with this tool. We only had to make a few adjustments so that the design could be translated into wood, as a design on paper does not always translate directly into a suitable template for carving in wood.

The four elements on the shield were carved separately and then fitted together later. This seemed to me to be the best solution and allowed for greater depth to be given to the elements.

It was a particularly enjoyable commission to work on.

Heraldic lion carved in wood

Vandersteen family coat of arms | Carving a family coat of arms onto a wooden panel | Low-relief heraldic carving.

Vandersteen family coat of arms 

 Carving a family coat of arms onto a wooden panel 

 Low-relief heraldic carving.

This low-relief carving in French walnut was created in 2018 for the Vandersteen family; it depicts the Vandersteen family coat of arms. It is not often that I am commissioned to carve this type of low relief – perhaps once every two years – probably because this sort of carving is slightly less eye-catching than high-relief carvings in lime wood.

The background of the panel features small scales, a technique used to clearly distinguish the carving from the background. The Vandersteen family shield is also rendered in heraldic colors. This coloring was carried out using the icon-painting technique, which produces the highest quality but is also very labour-intensive.

Work in progress:
Carving a family coat of arms onto a wooden panel

Work in progress:
Carving a family coat of arms onto a wooden panel

Coat of arms Vandersteen carved in wood.

www.patrickdamiaens.info

TEFAF Maastricht 2026 | Art & Antiques Fair in Maastricht | MECC

 

TEFAF Maastricht 2026 
 Art & Antiques Fair in Maastricht 

TEFAF Maastricht 2026 

  Art & Antiques Fair in Maastricht

TEFAF Maastricht 2026

Visits to museums, castles and antiques fairs are important sources of inspiration for the woodcarver.

These are places where the craftsman draws his ideas from, places where he seeks out new challenges, encounters new surprises and always feels he is learning something new.

To see how fellow woodcarvers 100, 200 or 300 years ago solved their technical problems when creating their works of art, and to appreciate the tasteful proportions they applied in timeless interiors and decoration.

In the 40 years I’ve been working with ornamentation, you’ve come to know where – in which museum or castle – you’ll find what sort of ornament, style, character and quality. Or in which castle it might be possible to take photographs or… make notes, should that be necessary.

At an antiques fair, you simply ask the stallholder if you’re allowed to take photos; they’ll usually let you, because they don’t know you and perhaps – just maybe – you might be a potential customer for them.

The European Fine Art Fair, TEFAF 2026

In this blog post, we’re visiting TEFAF in Maastricht – let’s not hesitate to say it’s the annual event that is eagerly anticipated worldwide.

At TEFAF, the world’s finest and most expensive paintings, sculptures and jewellery are exhibited to potential buyers. The fair is divided into nine sections: Paintings, Antiques, Modern, Design, Paper, Classical Antiquities, Manuscripts,.....

A total of 277 art, antiques and design dealers are taking part, representing Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Korea, Monaco, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, the United States, Uruguay and Switzerland...

The organisers ensure the quality, condition and authenticity of the exhibited artworks by having all works inspected before the fair opens by a team of around 170 experts, divided into approximately 28 committees, with the Art Loss Register also involved.

Admission isn’t cheap (85 euros) and parking costs 21 euros.  It takes me about five hours to visit the most important sections of the fair; by then my ‘hard drive’ is full, so you end up walking past paintings by Rembrandt, Picasso, Rubens, and so on, without really taking them in. As usual, I give contemporary art (‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’) a wide berth.

A few impressions from TEFAF 2026 

www.patrickdamiaens.info

Heraldic coat of arms of the Colquhoun clan | Arms Clan Colquhoun | Arms carved into wood

 

Heraldic arms of the Colquhoun clan 
 Clan Colquhoun

This heraldic coat of arms of the Colquhoun clan was custom-made in 2026. The name originates from Scotland (Dumbartonshire / the region around Loch Lomond). It is a historic Highland clan whose head bears the title Chief of Colquhoun and Luss (currently Sir Malcolm Colquhoun). Their motto is “Si je puis” (“If I can”).

It is not often that I am commissioned to carve a clan arms in wood and to incorporate the heraldic colors.

The client, from the US, was closely involved in the creation process.

The final result fully met the client’s requirements. And will simply serve as a decorative feature in his home. 

www.patrickdamiaens.info

The LOENEN family coat of arms carved in wood | Family coat of arms with shield bearers | Heraldic coat of arms carved in wood.

The LOENEN family coat of arms carved in wood 

 Family coat of arms with shield bearers 

This heraldic coat of arms was custom-made for a Dutch client in 2025; it depicts the coat of arms of the Loenen family, a family from the Netherlands.

It is not often that I have the opportunity to carve a family coat of arms in wood that features shield bearers.

The client was closely involved in the creation process and visited our woodcarving workshop on several occasions to follow the various stages of production.

The final result fully met the client’s requirements.

Mr. Loenen in our heraldic woodcarving shop

In a second phase, the Loenen family coat of arms was given heraldic colours, which gave it a more striking appearance. The decision to use heraldic colors is a personal choice, and not every client opts for this.

But it was a particularly enjoyable project to work on.

The LOENEN family coat of arms carved in wood 

www.patrickdamiaens.info

Carving a heraldic lion from wood | Wood-carved shield bearer | Heraldry in wood

Carving a heraldic lion from wood 
 Wood-carved shield bearer 

This heraldic lion was custom-made in 2026; it forms part of a Dutch family coat of arms.

In principle, this clawed heraldic lion can also be used as a shield bearer; however, you would need two of them, placed on either side of the coat of arms, where they give the visual impression of holding the shield in place.

The heraldic lion was carved from lime wood.

It was a particularly enjoyable project to work on.

www.patrickdamiaens.info

The PUT family coat of arms carved in wood | Heraldic woodcarving

The PUT family coat of arms carved in wood

Heraldic woodcarving

2026 A new heraldic commission is complete, bespoke for the Dutch *Put family.

* Put in Dutch means Well / source

This family coat of arms was carved from wood based on the design the client sent me.

The Put family coat of arms is carved from lime wood, is approximately 50 cm high and features heraldic colours.

www.patrickdamiaens.info