WoodBeeCarver

Santa jewelry pins are carved as a flat relief out of  quarter inch thick bass wood that is about an inch and a quarter wide, kinda like a yard stick without the numbers printed on it.  Each is carved using a knife.  The head covering is carved first so that when the head is carved it will fit into the hat.  The length is determined by how long of a beard the Santa will have, (making each Santa pin between an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half long). 

  As the photo shows, each one represents a Santa but each is a personality all his own.  Santa Jewelry Pins are colored using the “Painting Softly” method described in an earlier post on this Blog.  The jewelry finding pin backs come from Hobby Lobby, Michael’s or similar craft supply stores.  Glue used to attach the pin backs is “ZAP-A-GAP” super glue using also the “Zip Kicker” Accelerator to speed up curing of super glue.  Larger version of this style of Santa have been carved either as larger jewelry pins, necklace or as tree ornament (out of three eights inch thick basswood). 

 One thing about Santa carvings, there are so many styles and all are acceptable as a way to further express the personality of the carver who creates the carving, so the question is, “Does a carving possess its own personality of does it reflect the personality of the carver who created the carving?”

Apple wood is a very beautiful wood that is considered to be a hard wood but it is not as hard as cherry, maple or walnut.   Its rich color without distinct grain pattern makes it suitable to carve jewelry pieces.  Since the grain composition is very tight one can carve intricate details without those details crumbling, splitting or breaking at crucial design junctures.  The carvings depicted in the photo were carved between 1978 and 1981.  Each was carved with a knife while those with textured backgrounds were textured with an awl or ice pick kind of tool. 

 The wood came from a friend who cut down an old native apple tree that had been dead for some time so the wood was already dried out sufficiently to begin carving.  These Vintage Carvings of jewelry pieces represent an early carving journey that fulfilled one stage in the development of a carver’s experience.  Subsequent other journeys have been pursued with other carving projects, subjects and styles.  And yet, it is those Vintage Carvings that carry a special place in a carver’s memory of  significant learning during those early days of searching for one’s carving niche. 

  Much of wood carving is a trial and error experience of learning by doing and trying a new project is never a lost cause for each new challenge is to stretch one’s ability as well as imagination.  It is those days of vintage carving experiences that one builds upon to follow the path on to newer journeys of carving something not yet tried.  The style of carving depicted in these apple wood jewelry pieces came from an earlier time in this carver’s life and has been replaced with other styles yet to be pursued.  

 “Wood carving is the journey more than the destination,” so the journey is calling to move ahead while at the same time respecting and appreciating the “Vintage Carving” journeys for what they are and then move on, carve on and be the carver of yet to be “Vintage Carvings.”

The carvings depicted in the photo trail are some of my earliest carvings carved between 1976 and 1979 while I was a member of the Mahoning Valley Wood Carvers of Warren, Ohio.  The club was founded in 1976 by about twenty carvers with the most notable being the late Huber King who had won Best of Show at the International Wood Carvers Congress, Davenport, Iowa several times in the late 70’s. 

 Wood carving clubs serve a valuable purpose of encouragement, learning and friendship.  In 1976 there were very few wood carving books available nor tool vendors at what few wood carving shows that were just beginning.  Chip Chats  was the only wood carving magazine so most information about wood carving came from fellow members of the wood carving club.  We taught one another, we shared tool resources and looked forward to the show and tell portion of club meetings for it was there we could advance our latest journey of wood carving. 

 These Early Carved Figures represent that time in every carver’s history of learning by doing in the trial and error method of carving new and various subjects.  For some reason the WOOD BEE CARVER always leaned towards carving with a knife and carving small human figures in the various themes of “cowboys, hillbillies, seaman, old men and caricatures of humans.” 

In the photo trail are the early beginnings that have been saved as a road sign of the road traveled called “wood carving” and even while being very crude yet many of them received ribbons at the International Wood Carvers Congress.

  Wood carving has come a long way since those early days.  Harold Enlow made a monumental influence with the first books on caricature carving to be published along with his seminars and classes at War Eagle, Arkansas in the late 70’s.   Peter Engler advanced the cause of wood carving through his various carving enterprises at Silver Dollar City, Engler’s Block and others shops in and around Branson and Gatlinburg, TN.  Many well know carvers, teachers and authors owe their beginning to Harold and Peter. 

 But then, that is the way it is with wood carving in that we help one another, encourage one another and learn from one another.  That is why we participate in wood carving shows, attend carving classes, buy carving books and participate in carving clubs.  That is why I publish this blog and why readers continue to visit this blog and other carving blogs.

  We all begin some place but the key to carving is to continue building upon the past while always being challenged by the next carving project.