tourism

At the age of five, David Allen found his future. Rummaging around under the family home in the countryside near Homer, his small hand lighted upon an old pocketknife, rusty and discarded, but still sharp enough for whittling.

But David Allen is no ordinary whittler. He is a sculptor. He has spent a lifetime releasing his visions from the hickory roots he carves. Alligators, snakes, beavers, and a host of other animals emerge-resting, winding, twisting around his walking sticks, highlighted by intricate decorative motifs.

"If you're a creator," he says, "nobody knows whether or not you've made a mistake.”

He works patiently, with the careful assurance of a man who knows his craft and feels his art. He carries his simple tools in a small red plastic bucket: a pencil for tracing designs (which he does with a quick, light hand), a file, a chisel, a saw, a Tate knife, and, of course, a pocketknife. For sanding, he uses nothing more than pieces of broken glass which he manipulates with ease and speed.

"See," he says, pointing to bare wood. "I'm gonna put a snake there." After making a few pencil strokes, he picks up the chisel. With sure, sharp taps the wood falls away as though it was meant to - as though that sinuous snake was always here, just waiting to come out.

Our rich cultural heritage is a source of strength and pride for each and every one of us. The Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, and the Louisiana Press Association are pleased to present this series highlighting those who make a vital contribution.