Ron Cowan enjoys sculpting faces that he finds within pieces of wood as his retirement hobby. He sources wood from trees that he cuts down on his property using a tractor. To sculpt the faces, Ron uses various power tools to carefully reveal the features within the wood. Ron and his wife Cheryl then prepare the finished sculptures for shipping to customers around the world. In his retirement, Ron stays busy sculpting and selling his wooden faces.
2. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron Cowan has had a very full life. He has lived many
places. He has a wife, with whom he raised two sons.
He has had many careers. And now that he is retired,
he is able to dedicate his full time to his long-time
passion and side-business: art. In his artwork, he
“finds” faces within old beams, stumps, logs, and
trees, bringing out the “spirit of the wood” through the
faces.
3. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron Cowan with a face he sculpted as a practice piece.
4. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron uses a tractor (top, right) to pull trees
out of the woods. He uses the trees for
sculpting and to heat his house (bottom,
left). When necessary, he goes out to get
the trees in the cold of winter (bottom,
right).
5. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron points out where he thinks he will “find the face” in this
particular piece of wood.
6. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
For the first part of revealing the face beneath the bark, Ron uses a chainsaw.
20. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
The face is nearly finished, however, this
piece will not be sold.
21. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
After beginning this piece, Ron found that it had rotted significantly.
22. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
After carving the rotting face, Ron admires Murphy, a finished piece which
sold the following week.
23. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron places Murphy into a crate to get him
ready for shipping.
24. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Murphy prepares for his journey to St. Louis, Tennessee.
25. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron warms up inside while his wife, Cheryl, labels the crate for shipping.
26. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Cheryl uses the same wood burning tool as Ron to write the address on
the crate.
27. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron making sure Murphy is secure for his travels.
28. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Another of Ron's pieces, Norman, with a fully
addressed crate, nearly ready to go to Memphis.
29. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron with a fully assembled crate, made and
labeled by hand, about to ship to Virginia.
30. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron checks his email, which is how he corresponds with many customers.
31. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron's business card which he puts on pieces that will go on display at one
of two events: Arts in the Park or the Common Ground Fair.
32. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron displays his work at Arts in the Park in
Belfast, ME (top, right) and the Common
Ground Fair, in Unity, ME (bottom, left).
Sometimes customers buy the faces right at
the events, Ron's son Ben can be seen
carting a face away for a customer at Arts in
the Park (bottom, right). However, most of
Ron's customers see a face that they like, and
then come back for it later (like Murphy, who
sold after being featured at the Common
Ground Fair).
33. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron and Cheryl sit down to eat a reheated, but home-cooked meal near the
end of a a long day's work.
35. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
“We're busier now that we're retired than we ever were when we were working.
But it's a good kind of busy.”
36. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Appreciation for Walvia, one of the many faces Ron has carved that are across
the country and the world.
37. Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Wallace, Camden, New Jersey
The Longbreath, Belfast, Maine
Sir Edward, Ottowa, Canada
Backdive, Belfast,
Maine
Nameless, Camp
Medomak, ME
The Drifter, Belfast, Maine
38. By Patric Skigen
Ron Cowan: The Garden Muse
Ron has faces elsewhere in Maine, across the country, and in other
countries, as well. He has work in New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and
Canada. In addition, his piece Antonio can be seen in the
background of the Mel Gibson movie, “Man Without a Face.” Ron
continues to sculpt and sell the faces along with the help of his wife
Cheryl.
