Journal

Touch Forms in Wood

Hand carved Touch Forms

Wooden Stress Relievers

Handheld Art

The Adult Pacifier

Dummies for Adults

During my younger days visiting museums and art galleries, seeing signs that read: Please do not Touch, inspired a devilish desire to ignore the sign and reach out when no one was looking, especially if it was an interesting organic shape. I made a vow that all my creations as a sculptor and wood carver would cry out to be touched by the soft, smooth, sensuous, and sexy appearance alone.

Finding an appropriate name for my miniature touch forms was somewhat challenging. Touch forms seems obvious, they are carved to feel sensuous in the hands, they feel almost like glass. The origin of the touch forms stemmed from a challenge by fellow students and friends who were not allowed to smoke in my room but was urged to give up the unhealthy habit.

“I would like to quit but I won’t know what to do with my hands,” was the familiar reply. So I created forms created by squeezing a piece of clay into the most comfortable shape for their hands. Hence, Touch Forms.

Touch forms became very popular and was the highest sold single item in the gallery, so much so, they became my bread and butter hand carved item. My wife who collects hearts in both stone and wood, announced to me one day, “Why don’t you make some hearts?” I seldom disobey my wife so I started carving hearts in all sizes, small as a pendant for necklaces, small as touch forms for children, and a little larger touch for the cigarette smokers, and a large heart as a sculpture.

One blessed day, a tourist confided in me that she is a psychologist and gives my hearts to some of her patients to help relieve stress. 99.5% of my customers are tourists. “Your hands are blessed, there is something about your hearts that seems to offer comfort and relieves stress,” said another customer. This was confirmed by a repeat customer by the name of Linda from Massachusetts, who sent me this note:

“Your carved heart has comforted my 100+ year old aunt who died. When she was in hospice, she would not let go of it; her daughter buried her with it. Then my brother just died when I went to visit him in January. He was holding one of your hearts. Your hearts have been a deep blessing, please continue to carve.”

Linda still buys hearts as gifts for friends and family when she is in Anguilla or orders online when she is not able to visit. That was the second touch form I am aware of that was buried with the deceased owner.

Handheld Art

There is no mould. Each heart and abstract from is hand carved. The abstract forms are works of art to be fondled and explore in the palms of your hands.

The Adult Pacifier and Dummy

These hand carved forms take me back to my childhood, sucking dummies. Mom or Ma Ma, my grandmother, would always stick one in my mouth to stop the crying and keep me quiet. I hope the touch forms can fill that role for both children and adults.

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22 comments on “Touch Forms in Wood

Hello
I think it is marvelous that your creation brings comfort to those in their final moments.
I know many people who say that keeping the hands busy disrupts the ritual of smoking.

How long does it take you to complete the hearts? I think it’s neat that you do not use a mold when you make the hearts that means that each one is unique in some way.
I think they would make great Christmas gifts for someone who is struggling to relieve stress.

I try not to time it takes to care a heart, but to wholesale them as I often do, I am on the borderline profit margin, retailing I am OK. there are available on line and shipping is free. Hope to hear from you.

Wonderful article! It made me want to reach out and feel your work in my own hands. I could feel the smoothness between my fingers.

I am sharing this article with my sister who always feels stressed and looks to her crystal collection for comfort, I bet she may order one of your hearts to experience the benefit for herself. Thank you for sharing this article.

Thank you Donna, It would be a nice Xmas gift, shipping is free, see devonishart.com -fine crafts.Blessings.

There is nothing as satisfying as seeing that your work can really bring in joy and peace to people to help them relieve them of so many pains and stresses of lie. thank you so much for carving this and I hope that you will keep carving and hopefully, I can get your creations one day too. Thanks

Hope your get your  wish  soon, it works for me also, the most peaceful times in my life is when I am creating in wood or ceramics. All the best.

Nothing beats the creation of arts in the world and I will always respect your creativity because it has not only fulfilled your dreams of being touched by the secy but also, it has served as  a means of pain relieve to people and their life even at the most difficult moments in life. great one here and thumbs up to you. I wish you the best in life.

Thank you, I have been blessed to have 2 disciplines that brings me relaxation, spiritual therapy and great satisfaction, pottery is the other discipline-50+years. Best wishes

The wooden carvings are new to me as a way to combat stress.  However, the timelessness of the idea appeals.

We have been depending on medications much too long and using something as simple as a carving of a heart or whatever, is better for our health.  I doubt that such a natural product would require regular blood testing to make sure it was not damaging your kidneys, or building up in your system.  This does happen using a prescription from your Doctor.

I remember that Dad was so fidgety during his last years, something of this nature could have offered him some relief.

Native Americans have many stories about worry stones.  Your carvings are a beautiful way of having a “worry stone” that is lighter weight.  What wood do you use?

Thank you for visiting , 1 was looking for material on touch forms and couldn’t find any, thanks for mentioning the worry stones, is there any written material on the subject.

When you look at the fine print on prescription drugs, it is scary,, the side effects can be worse than the ailments;  I am all for -the natural. all the best.

Hello and let me say your art is simply gorgeous and your page layout looks good. I couldn’t help myself to reading every word you told us about. Your craftsmanship is very good and very professional. You appear to be on the right track and I wish you a lot of success. I am very intrigued by your work so keep up the good work. I really like your naming of your touch forms.

Thank you, your comments are much appreciated. Tis is 50 years of creating, and I am Still having fun. Best wishes

Just looking at your carvings reduces stress. I can only imagine how much more effective it is by holding and touching the actual carvings. They are beautiful. More so as no two are exactly alike. 

You have created what I would call therapeutic tactile art. You have done well to parlay your imagination and skills into a profitable business. May your business grow to even greater heights. 

All the best.

Edwin

Thank you Edwin, I hope you have no objections, but you have just given me an added description -therapeutic——art, I love it, if you care to send me your mailing address, you have just earned a free heart.

Hi Courtney,

I really enjoyed reading your article on touch forms in wood. I found it quite moving that your work has comforted people even in there final moments. I have just begun creating objects with wood – nothing as beautiful as yours, and I wonder if you have a recommendation for what I should start with? Your advice would be much appreciated. Regards, Andrew

Hi Andrew, what tools do you have?Let me know and I can make some suggestions. Thanks for visiting, happy to hear you are a wood worker.

It is interesting, that adults need pacifiers or dummies, I had never thought that grown up people, might need this type of comforter,although it is logical, that a wooden heart, held in the hand,could calm a nervous person.

The reports, that many smokers, giving up the habit, found a problem, of what to do with their hands,was quite strange, although reasonable,as these people definitely have a problem of nerves,and that it was pacified, by holding and touching, these wooden hearts.

People at the point of death, are often fearful, of what the future holds,and the reports that  people died, hanging on to these hearts,obviously calmed, and gave peace to them, in their last days,this can be a help, to relatives and those around them,to know how to comfort them,at such a time.

Yes adults need stress relievers as well, call it by whatever name. By all reports the hearts meant something. I don’t question it.Thanks for your response.  Best wishes

I didn’t use these hearts. But I think it’s fair to say I haven’t used one of these hearts yet. They are very cute and just looking at them in the picture makes me calm. I have a program loaded and to relax I listen to Tibetan music as a rule. I think I would feel much better holding one of these hearts in my hand while listening to the music. Are the colors in the photos the only ones available?

The hearts are of mahogany, and thats the natural color of the wood, with a mineral oil finish, see devonishart.com, fine craft tab. shipping is free, i’m sure you will love it.Tibetan music, must be relaxing; I listen to classical. Thanks for visiting; hope to hear from you.

I am amazed that through this article it revealed to me something precious I never thought it would. I feel something peculiar seeing small stones and holding them with the finest piece.

I would suspect that wood carvings are a labor of love that took your time to make them fine. They carry with them that love you invested to anybody who holds them. I wonder what kind of wood and what sizes they are that carry a certain weight to anybody’s hands.

Since your touch forms in wood deliver something more than form I’m sure you are inspired to carry on with that project. Continue forming for your life and for others.

You are right a lot of tender love and care goes into producing the hearts, the feel is soft and smooth like glass, and the mineral oil finish does not change the character of the wood. I was in the studio this morning from 6.30 am carving hearts from 300+ year old mahogany for an exhibition in December. All the best.

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