Woodcarvers carving out a niche
PAUL “Junior” Parkes and his friends have taken their fate into their own hands. Faced with slow sales of their woodcarvings at the Harbour Street Craft Market in Montego Bay, they now display their wares a few feet away from their outdoor studio. Those who travel along the Howard Cooke Boulevard can now see the pieces, and business has picked up.
According to Junior, they have been carvers for the past 10 years, a trade they learnt at the feet of an old wood carver, called the elder, who passed on the traditions to them.
“We approach this as art, it’s real good work,” Parkes said as he used sandpaper to smooth the edges of his latest piece that shows the sun, moon and stars.
“It’s not really the money, we love art work and we love the meditation we get from the work,” he explained as his half-smoked spliff dangled behind his ear.
The journey of a carving begins with the search for just the right piece of wood, cedar or mahogany, noted Parkes.
“We trod all over, and go to the hills and get the wood. We use the root, not the main trunk. Cedar is a softer wood and more mild. We use the fitter ones because they are better to use,” he said.
As he talks, a soft breeze rustles the leaves of nearby trees that serve as shelter for their makeshift studio. Nearby, there is a glimpse of the blue sea and the sea breeze blends pleasantly with the smell of freshly carved wood and varnish.
These are pleasant surroundings to work in, an important factor since the hours can be long.
It may take hours, maybe days, to draw the design, then carve and sand a hunk of wood into a work of art.
“This piece here can take a half a day. First you cut the wood in the shape you want, then you draw the design and cut it out. If you want a round moon, you cut a round face and then draw the design, then use tools to cut it,” the wood carver said.
All this is done by hand, and according to Parkes, while some of his colleagues work fast, he makes about two pieces per day.
The final piece of the puzzle is closing the sale, and these men are not averse to bargaining with customers in search of a good deal.
“For you, you could get this piece for $1,500,” Parkes said with a smile as he quickly switched from artist to salesman. “The tourist price is like US$70 and you can bargain down to US$65.”
