Retired Baseball Player Is Now an Artist Creating Resin and Wood Animal Sculptures

Whale Animal Sculpture

Retired baseball-player-turned-artist Blake McFarland creates sculptures of animals that are an enticing mixture of wood and epoxy resin. Combining the clear shine of resin with different colors of wood, the figures showcase the elegant beauty of the creatures’ forms while highlighting the materials and McFarland’s mastery of skills.

One of McFarland’s latest pieces is The Whale, a title that speaks for itself. The base of the majestic humpback whale is composed of wood while the top of it glistens with the transparent compound. “The Whale,” he tells My Modern Met, “consists of 11.5 gallons of epoxy resin and seven exotic hardwoods. 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.”

It took McFarland a staggering 100 hours to create his whale-inspired art. He started with a giant block of wood and resin. “I carved it down with various power tools and sanded all the way up to 5,000 grit,” he explains. “I love how it turned out.” Now that The Whale is complete, it will be at The Beacon, a restored 1920s venue in Topeka, Kansas.

Check out more of McFarland’s animal sculptures below. In addition to the photos, he creates videos of his process that are mesmerizing to watch. Scroll down to see those, too.

Retired baseball-player-turned-artist Blake McFarland creates sculptures of animals out of wood and resin.

Whale Animal Sculpture

Whale Animal Sculpture

His latest piece is titled The Whale, which took him 100 hours to finish and includes seven exotic hardwoods.

Whale Animal Sculpture

He's also created a bear sculpture…

Resin and Wood Bear

Resin and Wood Bear

…as well as a graceful swan.

Swan Resin and Wood Animal Sculpture

Swan Resin and Wood Animal Sculpture

Swan Animal Sculpture

Swan Animal Sculpture

McFarland gives a peek into his process on his YouTube channels.

Blake McFarland: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Blake McFarland. 

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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