Bud Murray makes two knives for me according to a design that was developed through trial and error of a blade shape that works best for the style of Whittle-Carving done by the WOOD BEE CARVER. He makes two sizes with the Murray 529 being two inches long and the Murray 539 being an inch and half long. Both have the same blade design of a scimitar blade shape with a notch in the extended tang. The handle is four inches long with a pistol grip at one end and a side finger grove on the side near the blade.
The Murray knives are one of the three knife makers that are recommended by the WOOD BEE CARVER as stated in an earlier post entitled “Three Knives Recommended.” Information for ordering either Murray 529 or Murray 539 can be found under Cool Links by clicking on “Bud Murray Knives.”
The River Valley Wood Carvers hosted a three day carving seminar in Taylor Mill, KY on April 12, 13 and 14. The eight Survivor Students pictured are (left to right) Gitta Wahrenburn, Rick Bissonnette, Bill Wright, Don Potter, David Chadwick, Dick Middleton, Bud Miller and Suzanne Millay. Read the rest of this entry »
Don Stephenson, my artist friend who continues to come up with neat carving ideas has done it again with a “Hillbilly Drawing.” This hillbilly captures the mental image of how most people picture a hillbilly. All art is an interpretation of an idea, an image or a memory. Art is also fluid as one interpretation flows into another interpretation so that one subject can have many interpretations without any duplication of theme, appearance or appeal.
A drawing of a hillbilly is a two dimensional interpretation while a carving of that same hillbilly becomes a three dimensional interpretation of the two dimensional drawing. A drawing of a hillbilly is in one medium of art while a carving of that same hillbilly is in another medium. Don Stephenson’s drawing of a hillbilly was used as inspiration for carving a hillbilly out of an inch and half square by six inch tall block of basswood using a Bud Murray 539 knife as depicted in the first photograph in the photo journey below which shows various views of the completed carving of a hillbilly. The carving is finished with artist oil paint Raw Sienna mixed with Boiled Linseed Oil to produce on monochrome finish in order to emphasis that “texture is color.” Read the rest of this entry »