WAX CARVINGS

 

I started making castle carvings out of bars of soap when I was still at school, as little gifts for all the elderly ladies I worked for (I maintained their gardens for extra pocket money). Of course these did not last long as once the soap dried out they would crack and crumble. I later moved on to carving candles which lasted much longer.

 

The first candle I carved was a large church candle that had been burned down a few inches, leaving a 2cm wide ridge around the circumference and about an inch and a half deep. I carved turrets and balconies, flights of steps and bridges. When the candle was lit the entire edifice would come alive and the detail was visible in the shadows on the walls. I found the process therapeutic and the finished article was intricate in detail.

 

Unfortunately, after being stored in the loft for many years I found to my dismay that the summer heat had collapsed the carving, so I do not have the originals to show here. I later tried my hand at carving slim single candles with just a few features to each one (as in the pictures below) as well as a small church candle that had not yet been lit. I periodically get the urge to carve a new one or am asked to do so from time to time.