Whittle Folk Shelf Squatters are various carved faces that sit upon a shelf with part of the carving hanging in front of the shelf. They are carved out of a one inch square by two inch tall block of basswood. A saw cut half way into the back side at a slight downward angle approximately one half of the length of the block of wood will establish where the Squatter will sit on the shelf.
In the photo on the left, on the bottom row, the left block has a saw cut with a line penciled in to indicate what area of wood needs to be removed. The next block to the right has the wood removed revealing how the back side of a Shelf Squatter will sit on a shelf. The third and fourth Squatters are partially carved and the fifth is ready to be painted. The painted Shelf Squatters on the top shelf are examples of various themes for Shelf Squatters.
Steve, at Cross Point Centre, Centerville, Ohio commissioned a “look alike” Shelf Squatter of himself as these four photographs show the carved and then the painted Squatter beside the photograph of Steve. His co-workers thought it was a good likeness of him gauranteed to keep the mice away.
Beards hanging over the shelf works well in these carvings of Civil War Soldiers and a Pirate while faces and heads without beards can have a shirt and tie hanging over shelf, or a breastplate for an Indian, a bandanna for a cowboy or even a very long bushy mustache hangs well. Shelf Squatters are colored using the “Painting Softly” method described on another page of this site. Painting Softly uses artist oil paint mixed with boiled linseed oil and when dry a coat of Deft semi-gloss brushing lacquer puts the finishing touch on these Shelf Squatters.
The photo at the left shows the brave survivors of another Whittle-Carving class taught in Newark, Ohio, July 19 and 20. In a two day class these students learned about carving only with a knife. The class project was learning to carve a three inch tall Whittle Folk Monk. Those participating were: Harry Limings, Bob Morrison, Tammi Crowell, Rich Murphy, Mary Kishler, Bob Green, Joe Hardesty, Lonnie Larsen, John Niggemeyer, Greg Lombardo, Bill Stroud, Thelma Lanwasser, and front and center, Don Mertz, the WOOD BEE CARVER (the instructor) and Leigh Sherman, in whose carving studio the class was held. Notice that they are all smiling indicating that we all had fun expanding the horizons of carving by “whittling away time” together.