Going with the grain
Sculptor Richard Rulli’s art allows the wood to dictate
By Adriana Serafino | Manor Ink
CENTERPIECE Centerpiece Rulli built his home around a huge black walnut stump while he fashioned it into a majestic eagle. Below, the grain of a section of a tree truck suggested a buffalo in a landscape. Adriana Serafino photos
In a world full of constantly evolving technology, it’s fascinating to see other cultures and lifestyles that rely on the nature around them. Richard Rulli, an extraordinary local woodcarver, has many fascinating and unique stories to tell about these cultures, as he has lived with many different Indian tribes, including the Navajo, Apache, Dakota and many more.
When Rulli was asked what distinguished daily life living with a tribe, he was quick to answer. “The biggest difference is that they take care of each other, helping who they can and hurting no one in the village.”
Rulli had also lived alone in a teepee for eight years, living in harmony with nature. “It was the best eight years of my 80-year-old life,” he said.
He not only learned from nature, but had been creatively inspired by it. One day he saw a black walnut tree stump which, because of its wood grain, he envisioned as an eagle. He brought the massive stump to his property in Grahamsville and started to shave and carve it while at the same time building his cabin around it. Most people build their homes first, but Rulli built his around the giant tree stump, making his home a showcase for his sculpture. It took him over thirteen years to hand carve the huge piece of black walnut, turning it into one of the most breathtaking and magnificent portraits of an eagle.
Artist Richard Rulli
The majestic sculpture is the first thing you see upon entering the cabin. It stands ten feet tall and rises in a sweeping motion. You can walk entirely around the eagle on the cabin’s ground floor, or take in a balcony view that shows off the piece from every angle above. Surrounding this magnificent sculpture is a display of many other unique wood carvings.
Rulli has made many beautiful carvings over the years, each with its own unique meaning. He doesn’t choose what he’ll carve in advance, but instead looks at the pattern of the wood grain and sees what was already in the tree. This style of wood carving can take much longer than normal, because it might require years to see what the grain holds in its pattern.
You may have seen Richard Rulli’s art work around the Catskills. At the Center for Discovery in Hurleyville, his white buffalo sculpture is on display, and at the Center’s Harris location you can see his giant moose. Also, be sure to check out the YouTube video of his artwork created by Aldo Troiani called “Rulli’s Works” at tinyurl.com/2s3sdvac.
