Woodcutter's Revival Book

"Woodcutter's Revival"... Author Jerry Slauter began writing "Woodcutter's Revival" in the late 1980's - and Doc committed at that time to illustrate the book when it neared production. That commitment was fulfilled and the result is displayed. Illustration production took 360 hours and was completed in three months between March and May of 2012. Front Cover: Columbines, Pack, Tools The right-hand portion of the cover illustration is featured on the book front cover and is fully visible; without overlapping text. www.woodcuttersrevival.com

Woodcutters Revival Back Cover

Back Cover: Chinese Work Camp The left-hand portion of the cover illustration is featured on the book back cover; partially overlapped by text.

Woodcutter's Revival Cover Illustration

The color cover illustration wraps from book front to back, leaving space for book title and publisher's additions. The columbines are front cover; the Chinese work camp on back. Examples of the front and back book covers of Woodcutter's Revival are shown in following thumbnails and posts. The cover scene uses character symbols to portray final outcomes. The pick is a focus of Chapter 4 (see illustration) but is now shown broken, bent and overlapped by the axe. The pick and axe alone have also been used as end-of-chapter illustrations throughout the book. The woodpile, hatchet, blooming columbines, coffee cup, work gloves, stump-stool, pack, Bowie knife and tunnel stand out; maybe even the tents, "Spirit Of '98", corncob pipe, and calling card with ribbon removed. But, you'll have to look closer to find the mountain lion, three bears, eagle, Chinese workers, cook fire, stacked railroad ties, and wheelbarrow. All are illustrated in the chapters. Need a challenge? Find the two marks representing the illustrator and wife on a distant ridge. Time Of Execution: 22 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Mixed Graphite and Prisma-Color Size: 8.5" x 14"

Ch1: The Journey Begins

Late 1800's smooth-worn Army-issue hobnail boots and knotty leather laces; complete with down-on-the-farm chicken feathers and corn kernels; icons of the rural life that men like Stewart and Raymond sometimes left behind to seek their fortunes in the mountains and beyond. Time Of Execution: 20 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch2: The Trail Divides

Stewart used the squaring axe and log roller to free Michael from under the fallen tree - the same tools Michael used to build his cabin in the background. Look close; there’s a coffee cup on the porch rail - and the obligatory outhouse out back. The cup on the rail is the same cup illustrated in Chapter 10. Can you smell the fresh...??? Time Of Execution: 17 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch3: Discovery

Edward Thomas’s Mercantile store sign; tacked up with common vintage square-head nails and adorned with a mining tool set... ...a subtle declaration of Thomas’s effort to control his community - and the miners who toiled and ended up “owing their souls to the company store”. Raymond would forever be connected to this store. Time Of Execution: 14 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch4: The Mountain Top

Stewart got a boost in “real life” education while caring for Michael - the Soul Teacher - at the cabin after Stewart rescued him from beneath the fallen tree. The pick is what Michael only imagined he’d kill his brother with; the fictitious act which caused Michael’s guilt and his retreat to the mountains. The background wind-storm signifies Michael’s inner struggle over this and the shaft of light upon the pick and cabin signify God’s Hand removing Michael’s guilt and his subsequent revival - part of the core meaning of the book. If you look close, you can find the illustrator’s and wife’s initials on the cabin wall. Time Of Execution: 19 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch5: Raymond In Discovery

Tokens were commonly substituted for authorized U.S.-minted coins throughout the Old West - so proprietors could limit buyers to using their own stores - thus enabling those like Edward Thomas to glean extra riches from the local mining community they sought to control. The heavy chain represents bondage, and the Colorado columbine stands for Victoria; the honest, beautiful, and ever-reaching flower who would lead the late charge against her Father. In the center of the Silver Token is the same mining tool set shown on Chapter 3‘s Mercantile sign. Time Of Execution: 16 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch6: The Essence

U.S. Old West History chronicles the suffering of the underpaid workers and expatriated Chinese who immigrated to America to seek a better life and build our early railway systems. An unusual perspective puts the viewer low-down on the track; where a fallen worker might have ended. The spike crushing the Chinese hat and ravaging locust represent their struggle which is countered by the excellent stonework on the tunnel entryway; an evidence of superior craftsmanship in spite of adverse circumstances. Time Of Execution: 24 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch7: Raymond And Leadership

Raymond was “seeing” the trappings of allied man-controlling commerce; Edward Thomas’s smoldering corncob pipe with Union Pacific Railroad ashtray. The well-used formal napkin is another reminder of Victoria’s presence. Time Of Execution: 18 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch8: Thanksgiving

The resolution of the public domain photo Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Rider portrait was poor - so accurate details were added to “make T.R. come alive”, and the font style for “Remember The Maine” was generic to newspaper headlines of the time. Not content with showing the Maine in either it’s intact glory or exploded view alone; both were illustrated - sunken Maine in front of seagoing Maine. The Maine mast resides at the memorial in Arlington Cemetery. If you look close you can see words on the side plate of the Navy-Issue .38 caliber revolver T.R. carried up San Juan. They read “From the sunken battle ship Maine” - drawn exactly as the words appear on the actual weapon. The hammer is cocked back - befitting T.R.‘s Legend. T.R.s revolver has it’s own deeper history too; sunk on the Maine, retrieved by divers from the ship's then underwater arsenal, lost by T.R. then found, then stolen three times and retrieved by the F.B.I. Finally at rest, it now resides in the National Firearms Museum in Manassas, Virginia. Time Of Execution: 36 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch9: Raymond Goes To Wellspring

The authentic spur-train is faithful to the time. The “Spirit of ’98” commemorates T.R.’s achievement, and has 10 flying flags, boiling smoke, luggage and passenger cars, and Wellspring and Justice spur-engine signage. The tunnel entry is like that shown in Chapter 6. In the upper right is an Eagle; in the lower left - three train-alerted Bears. When Raymond rode the Spirit Of ’98 over the trestle he felt as if he was “flying” - with no visible support below. An effort to show how Raymond felt by adding the deep chasm. Time Of Execution: 30 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch10: Mid-Winter

Wake up and smell the coffee!!! Both cup and pot have a bear similar to one on a cup purchased at Mt. Mitchell State Park - 6684 ft - highest elevation east of the Mississippi. The cup shown also appears in Chapter 2. The date is self-explanatory to the chapter. Time Of Execution: 19 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch11: The Departure

Viewers have been struck by the ferociousness of the mountain lion on steroids - and like it. Stewart wears a military-style leather pack, bedroll and bowie knife, and is “at the ready” with his Winchester 45-70 at the instant he and the mountain lion meet. Stewart is shown as a shadow figure because we elected to not to directly portray any book character, save T.R., so readers could imagine themselves or others as characters. Time Of Execution: 21 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch12: Wellspring

After his long journey-education Stewart came out of the mountains - and saw the axe cut in the tree directing him to his destination - Wellspring Town below. Rough axe-cut, birch and aspen leaves, wildflowers, rocks, trail, tents, town, mountains, split-rail fence, horses, dogs, wagons, and people are all there. Time Of Execution: 20 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch13: Raymond Had A Plan

The typical technical sketch of a mining entry-way demonstrates Raymond was actively thinking and planning. But so was Victoria; who early-on gave Raymond her ladies’ calling card. History shows that when some turn-of-the-century women were interested in a man they “double-knotted” their personal calling card ribbons; a subtle sign they wanted a more serious relationship. Whether or not Raymond understood this subtlety at that time in the story is unknown. To make the illustration accurate a small silk ribbon was man-fumbled into a double-knot; and is the sign of the budding romance. Time Of Execution: 14 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch14: Stewart Grows With The Job

Man-Stuff... ..a pair of late 1800‘s authentic U.S.-Made Romer handcuffs and key, tacked up by square-head nails on the sheriff’s wooden jail-house wall in bright sunshine. Stewart continued his education in real life - by getting falsely arrested. No worries; he patiently won all he needs by book’s end. Bright sunshine paints the jailhouse wall to counter Stewart’s present gloom and give him hope. Time Of Execution: 19 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch15: The Trials Of Life

The Bible, Gavel, and American Flag are icons of U.S. Justice; which Stewart got when he was swiftly freed from false arrest. To aid in the illustration my father's American Burial Flag was gingerly unfolded and used as a prop; 5 stars for grace, 13 stripes for the original 13 states. The gavel style shown was popular in the Old West, and parts of Psalms can be read. Time Of Execution: 18 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch16: Life And Death In Discovery

Raymond and Victoria were serious about each other in the story by now. But, her Dad was a force to be reckoned with as he had long-sought to control everyone, including the local Pastor and believers through exorbitant contributions to "The Big Church". Despite Edward Thomas’s dealings, the illustration reflects God's shining favor on this ornate mountain Church through a clearing-cloud sunburst. Time Of Execution: 20 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"

Ch17: Restoration

Michael finally won through to inner healing in Recovery, and was back in his God-ordained environment; a turn of the century one-room school. And, Michael was directing his "cabin lessons" now to students with the same heart he had once taught Stewart with - as shown by his simple blackboard message which also refers to both the chapter and book titles. The plane on the chalk tray is Michael’s lesson prop; implying that a tool - when properly used by a master craftsman - “levels” the surface it works on and “brings out” that surface's underlying beauty and purpose; just like how God “planes” our souls with His Spirit. Time Of Execution: 8 Hours Technique / Media: Etched Rendered Graphite Size: 7.5" x 10"