Craft vendor brings life to sculpting

David Dunkley, 42, says he was born with the skills for sculpting human-like images.

Growing up in a family where it is a tradition, he has been carving creative pieces of items and selling them for more than 18 years.

"Mi born wid it. My mom used to do it, my uncles, and I also have a lot of cousins that do it also, because it run in the blood; just like you would have Bob Marley, and all of his sons become singers. Just like that, it just come down to me," he told THE STAR.

His passion for art was so strong that he decided to give up on making furniture to focus on sculpting.

"Before I started doing sculpting, I used to do cabinetmaking before. Too much people in that field, so I moved to sculpture; and I love it more, so I stick to what I love more," he said.

Since making that decision, he said it has been satisfying, especially with his work evoking much chatter and excitement from persons who see them.

"It good. At times you have ups and downs, but most of it is good. But when people see mi, a just excitement. A lot of excitement," Dunkley said.

The St Elizabeth native explained that he does his work at home then travel to various sections of the island to sell his products.

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"I do business in places such as Negril and in Ocho Rios," he said.

And with pieces going for as low as US$10, he said that his main customers are tourists.

"Most of my work normally go overseas because I am in the tourism industry for a while now. Whenever tourists are here nuff, you get good sales, but you have a season weh they call 'tamarind time', where it's kind of slow," said Dunkley, who also sells his products at wholesale prices to local customer who have their own galleries.

But being in a business where sales fluctuate, he said he has put a plan in place to sustain himself financially when things are slow.

"You know that fast time gonna come, so when it is slow time yuh try have something put down, and eventually, you'll have work again when things pick up, so it work like you put money in the bank," he told THE STAR.