Tributes in Wood

Categories: 2019 July-August Issue, Boomer, Bob, Carving, and Wood.
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“I love seeing something beautiful, emotional, and spiritual emerge from something so earthy and natural.” So says Bob Boomer, who has been carving magical figures from wood for some five decades now, earning high praise and amassing an impressive roster of collectors, along the way. While at one time he was carving up to 50 pieces each year, he has slowed down somewhat, cutting that number to 20.

Each of those carvings is a wondrous work so beautifully crafted that it almost begs to be touched, caressed. The detail, the textures, the lines and colors of the wood are mesmerizing—and that is exactly how Boomer has planned it to be.

Boomer talent was apparent, when he was just a young boy. Growing up on a small farm in the San Joaquin Valley of central California, when he wasn’t milking cows, driving a tractor, or picking cotton and grapes, he often was hanging around his grandfather’s cabinet shop, fascinated as he watched the elder man work. Eventually, he began to carve small figures and totem poles on his own as school and Boy Scout projects.

Bob Boomer

War Dance
Manzanita
23″ High

“This young warrior is dancing to build up courage before battle, or to celebrate a successful raid on an enemy camp.”

Bob Boomer

Sisters
Manzanita
23″ High

“When I first found this piece of wood, it obviously suggested two figures. As I began to carve, I took advantage of the natural posture of the wood. As the mood developed, it seemed to suggest a closeness, or bond, as in sisters or best friends.”


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