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Nashotah House is a theological seminary in the Anglican tradition, concerned for the proclamation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the mission of the Church in the world, the salvation of all people, and the worship of Almighty God.
I have carved many carvings from the Prairie Cottonwood Tree bark but most are wood spirits and
such. In considering this processional
cross for use during the Lenten season, I naturally thought of the rough Cottonwood bark as a perfect medium for the project. In looking through my stash of Cottonwood bark, of which I have a lot collected from
various places around the Flint Hills, I found the bark that I thought was
perfect for this project. I had found
this bark in a grove of trees where one of them had been struck by lightening
that stripped the bark from the tree.
However, prior to being struck by lightening, cattle had sought out the
grove of trees for protection from the cold in winter and probably, more
especially, to seek the cool shade for relief from our hot sunny summers. The cattle had rubbed against the bark of the
tree, smoothing and burnishing it with the natural oil and fur of their hide
until it was ribbed with flat ribs as oppose to the conical rough ribs that
naturally appear on the tree bark. I
chose this bark for the cross because the “beasts of the field” had literally
prepared it for Our Lord’s Body.
I have further smoothed it and applied a coat of
finish, but the animals did most of the preparing of the wood where I will
placed the Body of Jesus that I carved from bass wood.
I have yet to attach the cross to the baton and a few
other finishing details of construction will make it complete.
The bark on the left is a picture of the normal Cottonwood bark I find to carve .
This was before "I further smoothed it and applied a coat of finish,
but the animals did most of the preparing of the wood
where I will placed the Body of Jesus that I carved from bass wood."
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