Hand Carved Wood Blocks

Spread out on the back table of one of my favorite shops was a new shipment of wood blocks, leaves, fish, paisleys, elephants, stacked and huddled together in a critical mass of delectable designs, pristine in their newness. Judy Gula, the owner of Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, Virginia, continued sorting and pricing while I admired them. Hand carved in India, they are worthy of objet d'art status. Many people collect and display them in groups. They are versatile tools. Stamp them on paper or fabric using paint, ink or thickened dyes, press them into polymer clay, paper clay or porcelain. Leave them face up and make rubbings. The carvers in India would surely be pleased to see what we do with their blocks. Check them out at http://www.artisticartifacts.com/category/block.html or see them in person when Judy is at a show.