Viking Serpent and Vines Staff

I had a lot of fun creating this piece. It combines two motifs I’ve very much enjoyed doing in the past, namely the Viking Serpent and vines, both coiling around the length of the staff. Serpents are found in mythologies from around the world and often symbolized rebirth, renewal, and knowledge, whereas vines represent a return to nature. The natural winding curvature of the wood itself enhances the overall design. It’s made of sumac wood, stands at 57.5 inches, and has multiple coats of sealant and boiled linseed oil.

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Second Star Trek Hiking Stick

Just a fun fan art piece for Star Trek. I wasn’t sure what to make with this piece since it’s relatively thin thus making it harder to display something with any detail, but eventually I landed on a Star Trek combadge and colored bands representing the different areas of expertise onboard a starship. The iconic words “To Boldly Go” are also wood burned onto the side. It’s made of sumac wood, stands at 57 inches, and has a coat of sealant to protect the ink and a coating of boiled linseed oil to protect the wood.

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King Ezekiel Hiking Staff

King Ezekiel is one of my favorite characters on “The Walking Dead” and recently the idea came to me to place some of his most iconic quotes on a large walking staff. I chose “And yet I smile” followed by“Drink from the well, replenish the well” on one side and “We will mine glory from the rock of struggle this day” on the reverse in stylized lettering. Above the quotes are a leather rawhide hand grip accented by a large bird feather. At the top of the staff, both sides depict a crown, sword, and bird feather in continuing with the same source of inspiration, but all aspects of the piece serve it well interdependently of their source. The staff itself is made of maple wood, stands at 66.5 inches, is finely sanded, and coated in boiled linseed oil for protection from the elements.

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Hobbit Hiking Stick

I just wanted to make simple, minimalist hiking stick perfect for a walk in the woods. Nothing complicated, or requiring the spray sealant, just natural wood along with an aesthetic and subject matter I find personally appealing. It’s made from a lightweight, sturdy piece of sumac wood standing at 50.5” and has the famous phrase from Tolkien “Not all who wander are lost” burned into the side along with a recreation of the Elven leaf clasp from The Fellowship of the Ring. The well proportioned staff was entirely hand crafted from sanding to burning. The wood itself is also coated with a varnish of boiled linseed oil to protect the wood from the elements.

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Painted Flowers and Vines Hiking Staff

While it took a fair amount of time, patience, and a steady hand to make this staff I enjoyed working on it and am pleased with the final result. Red and orange flowers are joined by a leafy vine wrapped around the body of the staff. It’s a 60″ piece of maple wood with a faux ladybug attached near the top. The images were wood burned onto the staff and the colors come from paint pens which give better control than a typical brush. I then used a spray on acrylic sealer to keep the paint from smearing and wearing off as well protecting the wood from weathering. I also used boiled linseed oil for an extra layer of protection which had the added benefit of giving the piece a subtle shine.


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Solar System Hiking Stick

 

To celebrate the arrival of Juno to Jupiter and the profound progress we’ve made exploring our nook in the cosmos I decided to make a hiking stick depicting our solar system. Or, in other words, if taken hiking, it depicts the part of the universe you’re exploring while you do it!

From top to bottom: the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Sorry, no Pluto. Each celestial body was done using metallic ink, then coated with several layers of polyurethane to preserve both the stick and images and for overall protection from the elements. While debarking the wood, the innermost layer remained leaving the staff a reddish-brown copper color and comes to 56” tall.

Artist: J.R. Goslant

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