Jim Hecker recently carved an accordion player and has documented the carving process and progress with photographs and a brief written description.

Every carving project is a learning experience and the more challenging the project the more one can learn.  The challenge in this carving project is to carve a seated figure playing an accordion using a fuzzy photograph as a starting point as well as to make artistic design changes during the carving process.  Jim carves in the Scandinavian style of flat plane carving.  His experience in carving an accordion player can be an encouragement to us to learn from Jim through studying the photographs and reading his words.

Matt’s Dad

When Matt serviced my furnace a while back he saw a Scandinavian accordion player carving on my workbench and asked if I could carve something like it for his dad who plays the accordion. I said I’d think about it but I wasn’t making any promises and it could be a year before I finished it. After Christmas I decided I had thought about it long enough and got started. I have never seen the man so Matt sent me a fuzzy photo of a portrait of his dad playing his accordion. I decided not to try to recreate him exactly, but include enough details to represent him somewhat. I drew a pattern which I transferred to a 3x3x6 inch Basswood block and sawed out a blank on my bandsaw.

As soon as I started carving I realized that I didn’t have enough wood for the feet. I glued on small blocks of wood for each of the feet as can be seen in the photos. I studied Google images of accordion players to get a better sense of how the accordion would be held. I considered carving a stool with legs, but opted for a simpler solid bench with cushion. I used a small gouge to remove some of the wood between the legs and a V-gouge to texture the hair and make the pleats in the accordion.

 All of the rest of the carving was done with the knives in the photo, medium and regular Harley Knives from Pinewood Forge, and Don Mertz Signature Series #1 from Helvie. I painted the carving with Delta Creamcoat Acrylics thinned with water and finished it with Minwax paste wax. I’m still experimenting with ways of painting the lenses on the glasses and settled for something that could be transitions lenses or sunglasses. Overall I am quite pleased with this carving I named “Matt’s Dad.”

Thank you Jim for allowing us to travel with you down your woodcarving journey through your “Matt’s Dad” carving.