Bespoke Carvings and Statuary

Here are a few examples of custom carvings by Nick Barstad, showing the range of what is possible upon request, from large installation pieces to small household objects of beauty and personal expression. Captions include brief commentaries by the artist.

“Howl at the Moon no.2” Turkish Pearl marble, roughly 10”x14”x18”.

This piece is an iteration of a motif in my work, following a larger piece that is very similar. The client saw that larger work and asked to have one made that would fit their space, and also asked for the subject to be a wolf rather than a coyote. This change in scale and subject brought the composition into even sharper reality. The theme is a signification of classic western American art, and on a deeper level represents the human yearning for what is yet unattained, or perhaps not even possible but always desired nonetheless. Private collection in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“Momento Mori no.2” Colorado marble, roughly 7”x10”x12”.

A custom carving requested in response to a similar work that I caved some years ago. An ancient and powerful theme, Momento Mori art is a means of remembering and meditating on human mortality. Not only is it about remembering those who have passed, but also a means of achieving a sense of peace and humility in regard to the fact that all things in this world end, including our own lives. Private collection in Denver, CO.

“Little Joy” in Carrara marble, roughly 3”x5”x9”.

A lovely little sketch expressing the joy of motherhood. This composition was based on a small line art image that the client found online and loved. An example of how popular imagery can grow into a cohesive work of art.

“Birds of a Feather” in Utah Alabaster. Roughly 9”x12”x18”.

A thoughtful and generous wedding present, this piece combines various elements that express the personalities of the couple, as well as their love and devotion. Two doves provide a traditional symbol of romantic love and attachment, while the sunflower expressed her personality and style, and the baseball tells us something about him.

“Blessed Mother” in Georgia Granite, roughly 18”x24”x66”.

One of my earliest large scale works. Carving this statue was a journey in itself. Granite is an incredibly hard stone, and the process was demanding on many levels. The block was a repurposed structural column from a house that is believed to have burned down in the Jacksonville fire of 1903, and that story in itself is meaningful. Rebirth and rediscovery are beautiful possibilities that life holds for each of us every day of our lives. Far from a traditional image of Mary, the composition was in part a response to the nature and dimensions of the material, and in part express a desire to bring about new inspiration within the discipline of devotional statuary. Delicacy and poise counterbalance the weight and hardness of the material. The slender, gently blossoming arms and garments reference the natural world, like a newly opened lily. It is a work that I will always love and remember fondly. Carved for Community Cenacolo, this statue resides on the ground of Mary Immaculate House in St. Augustine, FL.

“St. John the Evangelist” Georgia Cherokee marble, roughly 24”x36”x84”.

Standing at seven feet high and carved from a block weighing upwards of seven thousand pounds, this statue remains one of my most ambitions and significant works. The composition was entirely my own, representing the most defining aspect of this saint’s story. His pose, gesture, and expression relate his moment beneath the cross of Christ, as he mourns the death of his beloved teacher. Simultaneously, it shows him looking upward and reaching out to receive the revelation: a striking, ambiguous and controversial prophecy about the final battle on earth and glorious second coming of the Son of God. The eagle grounds this composition clearly in our concrete world of nature, while also identifying him as one of the Four Evangelists, each of whom are represented by an archetypal motif.

This project came about as a commission for San Juan Del Rio parish in St. John, Fl., and was executed in collaboration with Community Cenacolo. I significant portion of the commission went to fund a mission orphanage of that community in Liberia, Africa.