“THOUGHT FOR FOOD” is a caricature carving of an unemployed professor using a play on words by reversing a familiar saying, “Food for Thought.” This carving depicts a “long in the face” professor who is out of work sitting on philosophy books and surrounded by philosophy books which contain the “Thought” that has shaped critical thinking through out the ages. 

The purpose of education at its best is to teach us how “to think” for ourselves so that we will not be manipulated  by ideologies that have their own hidden agenda.  To a large degree, caricatures appeal to those who “think” by being able to see the art as well as the humor depicted in the caricature presentation.

Caricature carving is a result of “creative imagination” that utilizes the craft of carving  to bring imagination into reality.  Thinking and imagination are partners in the creative process that only grows by putting thoughts and imagination into practice through a creative endeavor.

The idea for “THOUGHT FOR FOOD” first developed in this carver’s imagination as a cartoon image that was described first as  a verbal cartoon.  From that initial image in the mind came a mental design for a caricature carving.  Certain “props” needed to be included in the initial mental design like the academic robe and mortar board hat, torn and tattered clothing with appropriate patches in knee and elbow, stacks of  large and thick philosophy books,  a cup for pencils to sell with coins scattered about along with paper money in the professor’s hat, and most critical,  signage that would complete the story such as “Out of work Professor” and “Thought for Food.”

The photo trail that follows shows the progression of the carving process in which “real carving tools” are being used to carve this scene out of one block of wood eight inches tall, six inches wide and four inches thick.  The lettering on the books and the signs were done with a wood burner.  The coloring is the process called “Painting Softly” (as described in another posting on this blog) that uses artist oil paint thinned with boiled linseed oil.

These three photographs show the progression of opening up the block of basswood and continuing to shape the professor and stacks of books with a frontal view and a view from the back.  The walnut handled tools were made by Bud Murray of Missouri.  The large gouge in the first photo was hand forged  in Thailand and the blue handled Plastic Dip tool is a Stubai gouge.

These three photographs reveal the carving being carved to the basic shape in which one can begin to see the story unfolding. The blue on the Stubai palm carving tool is “Plastic Dip” applied to the tool handles to provide slip resistance for greater control of hand held tools.

The first two photographs show the detail beginning to be carved into the basic form while the third photo shows the end result.  The tobacco marble handled knife was made by my good friend Larry Piety of Berne, Indiana.  The other tools are flexcut palm tools with “Plastic Dip” applied to handles and a Stubai palm tool.

These three photographs show the scene carved almost to completion with only a blank face awaiting the facial details.  The carving tool in the photographs are Larry Piety knife and Drasta palm tools with Plastic Dip on handles.

The challenge of a carving like “THOUGHT FOR FOOD”is to begin with a basic imaginative idea and carve that idea out of a block of wood trying to stay ahead of one self so as not to remove needed wood to complete the overall design.  That is why it is important to carve everything to its basic form by leaving enough wood to be able to carve in the details and learning to make design changes as the carving progresses.  Often these design changes come about as the carver’s sub conscious partners with the hand and eye coordination to make the necessary cuts to accomplish what the creative process envisions.

As one ponders “THOUGHT FOR FOOD” there is “food for thought” for carving projects yet to be envisioned. The “journey” continues because  “Woodcarving is more the journey than the destination” and more imaginative thoughts await to be carved.