A salvage ethic underscores this creative soul of mine. My primary medium is wood, but other materials are always needed like tin, copper, wire, antique nails, beads, vintage paper, car parts, etcetera. For example, my Pelicans have feet made from 1940's war era army boots and the floats salvaged from the marsh after coastal storms. If I were to buy the parts new - the finished piece would in no way have the same feel.
These salvaged pieces that I have collected over the years and continue to collect resonate with me - they have a story to tell and I enjoy sharing with my customers the "stories" that are a part of their artwork.
A Swan in the works. The Cypress used for the body is pictured on the right. Coastal Red Cedar was used for the neck and head.
Awakening the Animal: A handcrafted wood animal is healing. It brings the energy of nature into our stressed, fast-paced lives. The attention of an artisan combined with the beauty of the wood is magic and awakens our surroundings.
A Reverence for Wood. The character of wood, especially when aged, brings a warmth and glow to our interiors that no machine made item can offer. The grain and the texture work together to give depth to the painted surface, hand rubbing awakens the curves, and preserving knots and twists in the wood creates a pose that only Mother Nature can produce.
The fondest memories of my youth were the family's self-sufficient farm in northern Michigan and of time spent in the back-woods.
Right after high school I left home, to focus on living a turn of the century lifestyle – building everything by-hand: log homes to using horse-drawn plows.
Always drawn to mountaineer lore, I attended a few rendezvous' and muzzleloading championships in the mid 1980's - traveling on horseback to a few until sadly, they became "commercial" events.
In 1986 I received my farrier training at the Kentucky Horseshoeing School in Shelbyville. Throughout my years as a farrier, I sold animal carvings and wood crafts at folk festivals, decoy shows, county fairs, and open-air markets.
In 1999 I moved to Ocracoke Island North Carolina. Ocracoke is a small, historic fishing village with a thriving tourist economy. My work there included wood carvings for local shops, custom paintings, signs, murals, interior wood cabinetry and restoring elements of historic homes.
I am a registered North Carolina Wildlife Rehabilitator for small mammals and from 2006-2016 was the steward for NC Coastal Land Trust Springer’s Point Nature Preserve.
In 2017, my partner Robin and I moved to Williamston, NC to our small 5-acre farm. In between beekeeping, restoring old farm buildings, and taking care of animals, I carve. It is a goal I’ve had for a while – setting up my barn and blacksmith shop where I can focus on carving.
Robin is establishing Yellow Flower Healing - specializing in the healing flowers of yesteryear and heritage living workshops. She also continues to offer her consulting services for Rural Communities. Read More
Yellow Flower Trading Post & Herb Cottage at Yellow Flower Farm will be open to the public in 2022.
About Len Skinner