WILLOW BRANCHES
Light, transparent statues with a natural feel
Willow branches are harvested in the autumn. Willow is of course a typical tree in the Netherlands, but the branches I use for my art are specially grown for this purpose, not by me but on a special farm. The willow branches are available in different sizes, and all have a thicker stem ending in a flexible tip.
As a civil engineer I apply my own technique to make the statues. I do not use braiding, but set up a skeleton based on pressure and tensile forces similar to for example the Eiffel tower, certain steel bridges or the Maeslantkering flood defence in the Netherlands. I use the tips of the branches to make knots, and the thicker parts to exert pressure or tension. The end product is of course art, the technique is whatever serves the purpose. The statue unfolds under my hands while I improvise.
As shown among the bronze projects it is possible to make the willow statue into bronze. Willow degrades fairly quickly, making it into a bronze statue allows preservation.
The shapes on this page are not exhaustive. Other statues are also possible for example in combination with flower arrangements. I would also still like to try someones portrait in willow branches.
An overview of the art is shown in the gallery. The making of
shows samples of the development of the eagle. The final version of the eagle is hanging between trees with wings. That is not so easy to carry out, as the eagle had to be transported into its final place, the wings had to be braided on, and the total eagle had to be heaved into place. The eagle in willow branches is light enough to be carried by one person, but once it has to be heaved it is quite heavy.
Gallery
An overview of the statues in willow branches is given below. In the projects I discover the possibilities of the material.
Eagle catching rabbit
Eagle catching a rabbit. The statue exhibits the predator look of an eagle. It is a big project that is hung up between trees, here shown without wings.
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The making of
The development of the eagle is shown in samples below. The final statue has to be strong enough to hang between trees and not collapse under its own weight. Of course it has to carry the weight of the decorations on the outside.
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