Following his retirement in 2018 due to a shoulder injury, former professional baseball player Blake McFarland now devotes his time to making art. He creates stunning resin and wood animal sculptures that showcase the exquisite beauty of each creature they represent. Combining various lumber types with sizable amounts of epoxy resin, every piece is a testament to McFarland’s impressive carving skills.
Among his latest creations is The Whale which features a majestic carved figure of the marine mammal. The piece consists of seven different hardwoods, namely ambrosia maple, curly maple, mahogany, padauk, walnut, yellow heart, and zebrawood—all of which comprise the sculpture’s base. Meanwhile, the top portion consists of a whopping 11.5 gallons of epoxy.
“I wanted to capture the essence of the ocean by using clear resin on the top portion of the whale while the bottom is all mixed woods.”
Former professional baseball player turned artist Blake McFarland creates stunning resin and wood animal sculptures
He started off by milling the lumber and then gluing up the pieces strategically to form the base of his whale figure. Afterward, he created a mold out of a plastic sheet to get the piece ready for epoxy pouring. He then spent the next two weeks doing four separate pours of epoxy to get the volume he needed for the carving.
Once the epoxy had cured, he proceeded to carve the whale’s form out of the block. He used a variety of woodworking tools to render the intricate details of the sea creature seamlessly. Finally, he hand-sanded the piece from 60 grit up to 5,000 grit before polishing it.
Overall, it took McFarland over seven weeks to complete his masterpiece. Measuring 33″ long and 18″ wide, the sculpture was a commissioned piece for The Beacon, a 1920’s eclectic style event venue in Topeka, Kansas.
Aside from this majestic whale, McFarland has also created splendid sculpted figures of other animals including bear, swan, and more.
Feel free to follow him on Instagram to see more of his amazing works. Likewise, you can check out his YouTube channel where he documents his creative process.
Source: Blake McFarland Website | Instagram | YouTube