This Isn't What I Expected - Look What Happened to My Tree Stump!
 

I contacted a guy who carves tree stumps. I was really looking for a chair or bench, my Wife just wanted me to cut someting simple into the tree stump. The last thing I told the guy was to think bench - my wife told him something simple, nothing showy,something like a church pew of park bench. Here is what the guy did. Looks like something out of a Vistorian parlor! My Wife wants me to ask for a refund or at least to have it cut off.

The guy worked hard at it. I wasn't able to check it out till he was about 7/8 done and my Wife wasn't able to be around while he was working on it. I paid him for his work - don't ask how much. I'm kicking myself. Many folks have commented that they like it and that it will look great with some flowers around The more I look at it the more pissed I get. I think I will call him and talk options. So, what to do?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1157350860.jpg

Well Mike, adult opinions aside, I can tell you my young daughters would have loved it. They would have made it their little Princess throne, fantasizing roll plays around it all day long.

Who cares about the grown up aesthetic issues, if it can bring joy to the children.

Nice work, although if it's not what you asked for (assuming you were clear with what you wanted when you talked to the guy) then you've got a case to complain.

You could always build a gazebo around it or something. . .

how big is that thing?

Looks like it's for a dog or something.

nice work, even if it's a bit strange..

It's fabulous, don't get rid of it, you'll wish you had not if you do. Bad karma to get rid of art until you've lived with it for a while.

Yeah, I like it... Find a sculptor to create you a bronze lounging Smurf or Gnome :p

keep, it, get flowers...it will look nice, neighbors and strangers will fawn over it.

lets see, porsches and fancy lawn carvings...this is a sign of Class.

even if its misplaced...:P

Looks fine.

+1

It will become part of your family heritage. One of the kids will take it with them when they leave home.

I see a possibility for a statue of a gorgeous woman in a Victorian-era dress sprawled on it, perhaps with her ample bosom somewhat exposed. Oh, there are possibilities. . .

Give it a week...then call the stump grinder bubbas if you still think it's hideous, revolting and repugnant.

Chainsaw it. Fru fru stuff like that ain't gonna fly in Texas...

Well, if you decide that you don't want it, you can cut it off flush at the bottom and keep it or sell it or give it away and then have the stump removed. No reason to destroy it because it isn't what you wanted.

It's just mediocre work, that's the problem. The scale is all off, and the form is too delicate to be sitting on top of a tree stump. Like putting a Faberge egg in a burlap sack.

Problem is, seems like you gave the guy artistic license. Hard to complain when his art does not match your vision.

I'd live with it for at least a couple of months and then rent a stump grinder if it still bothers you.

Oh yea, how much? :)

Nice stump.

I'd put a "Madonna in a Bathtub" right next to it.

It was not a total waste, in the sense that fellow Pelicans can learn from your misfortune. (This is true of most slip-ups). :)

If you ever hire another stump-carver, (or any other commissioned artist), ask to see his work, (or at least photos in this case), and maybe a drawing of what you are commissioning. It sounds like you just set him loose on the stump w/ some instructions that in hind sight were too vague, and hoped for the best. At least it wasn't a tattoo.

Hmmm... Texas.... Chain saw..... I'd let it slide.

I think it looks VERY neat....from my take you have a large front yard with only ALOT of nice grass and thats it.

That sculpture even though its not what you wanted, is actually nicely done and tasteful. With a bed of flowers around it some edging and a some red bark around the flowers would look damn nice...plus it would break up all the boring green grass and add some color and be beautiful as well.

People put all kinds of crap like old wooden wheels, old broken up antique wells, parts of antique horse carriages in their front yards and this is on properties worth more than half a million - so I like your sculpture!

Some thing like this can be done for little cost and can be a fun hubby and wife project together (if you guys like doing that stuff - I know I do!):
http://tucoo.com/scenic/photo/x_Colc...garden%201.JPG

-or something like this in 360degrees around the stump and sculpture (wild grass looks cool too BTW)-

http://www.phys.utk.edu/sorensen/Pho..._frontyard.jpg

-or- wild grass and flowers:
http://orserv01.ci.oak-ridge.tn.us/l...r%20Garden.jpg

Hope that helps
Yasin

How exactly was that supposed to come out?

http://www.freewebs.com/singing_siren/c05.jpg
"It's Faaaab-u-lous!...."

That's exactly what I'm thinking too. It can be one of the problems when you commission art work. Next time, buy completed art work.

Adjectives in English don't have gender. If you found some in the word I used, I'd suggest a thorough psychic self examination for you.:D

So what did you say to piss the guy off before he started working? By any chance was the carver's name "Mul"?

As my ol man would say "you just paid tuition to the school of hard knocks!"

A lesson I will soon not forget.

The Google spiders show their effectiveness again. Look at the ads at the bottom of the page: "Stump Out stump remover" -- I guess you've got a potential solution!

(You may have to reload the page a few times before that ad is served to the page. All those "Porsche" ads seem to dominate for some reason. ;) )

In case the ad doesn't load for you:
http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product.asp?product=176185zz&dept%5Fid=12150

Hey Lube, next time you're up north, old man, you'll probably want to pay a visit to this place. Indeed, there might be room in their permanent collection for your latest commission :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1157405888.jpg

http://www.museumofbadart.org/

Ha!

Laugh now, I'm gonna cut the sonnavabatch off at the base and sell it on e-bay for 5 times what I paid!

(I don't feel very good...)

I don't know, a few of those plastic pink flamingoes, some inverted tire flowerpots, and one of those gease with the propeller wings that spin in the wind and it should look right at home. :) Sorry I just couldn't help myself.

He's in Dallas, it's FINE...

Just remember, the Victorians were not what they portrayed, maybe this could be useful, in the middle of the night…mee thinks thou doth protest too much…

Sell it on the stump, someone might want to come to your house and dig it up, taking the whole thing.

I like Jeff's idea of building a gazebo around it (or make it part of it), especially if it's in the back yard. I bet the kids would love it & maybe you could use it for BBQs or something.

I don't see what the big deal is... you said you wanted something plain like a church pew style, and the guy got all "artistic" on you. Art is crap, and he didn't do the job he was paid to do. All of the other guys in the neighborhood are probably laughing at you right now, too.

Flowers make EVERYTHING better!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1157410870.jpg

Things could have been worse: he could have carved a toilet seat...

Aurel

If you happen to know a whole bunch of midgets, my suggestion would be to throw a lawn party for them and raffle it off :)

The worst thing about it is that the chair isn't integrated with the stump at all. It looks like it could be a separate piece just sitting on a stump. The only thing the stump and the chair have in common is that they are both made of wood.

Indeed, that is bad. I only say that as I can tell you agree. I bet you were hoping for some variation on a adirondack chair or some other type of built-in lounge.......something more useful and casual. I cannot picture a comfortable way to sit on that thing. You asked:)

Re: This Isn't What I Expected - Look What Happened to My Tree Stump!
 

Women always threaten to cut it off!



P.S., I had no idea Christopher Lowell knew how to use a chainsaw. I'm impressed

I called the "artist". The converstaion:

Artist: "Hello" (baby screaming in the background)

Me: "Hay Doug, its Mike. I hear some screaming is this a bad time?"

Artist: "Hay Mike, No its OK, its just my kid she screams all the time I'm gitt'n used to it proly wouldn't have even noticed it if you had'nt said anything."

Me: "Oh, OK. Well Lisa isn't happy with the chair."

Artist: "No, she doesn;t like it huh?"

Me: "Naw, well you know how womens are."

Artist: "Ya, what do you want to do?"

Me: "Thats why I called...explore some options...whadya think?"

Artist: "I guess I could cut it out."

Me: "Its a nice piece and I know you worked hard on it. You think you know somebody who would like to buy it?"

Artist: "Ya, maybe. I guess I could swing by and take it out and give you some of your money back."

Me: "Sounds fair. When?"

Artist: "I won't be available to be in that part of Texas for a few more weeks, maybe the first weekend in October?"

Me: "That'll do."

Artist: "I did go through 3 blades. Cut through that barbed wire in the truck an all."

(baby is still screaming)

Me: "Ya, I know...a real pain I bet. Tell ya what, I'll e-mail the good days that my Wife or I will be around and we will go from there but as it sits the first weekend in October looks good."

Artist: "OK"

Me: "Cool...hay, I think your kid needs ya so I'll let you go."

Artist: "Ya, I she she is hunger or wet or somethin."

Me: "Talk to you soon."

So, I guess it went as well as could be expected. My next conversation with him will be to firm up the time and any $$$ back.