Just in time for Christmas, Steve Prescott has shared one of his latest caricature creations.  In his own words he tells a little about how this idea came into reality while offering a few instructional insights along the way.  In his own words, Steve says:

One of my loyal collectors wants a new carving every Christmas.  He displays them at his office where all his patients can enjoy them too.  After about fifteen years I have exhausted my Santa repertoire and I’m always looking for new ideas.  At the Great Plains WC Show in Wichita, Kansas I was tabled next to Ed Zinger and admired a Santa blank that he had on his table.  Ed did not have any blanks but said he would send me one if he had any left.  It arrived a few weeks later.  Ed explained that it was a defective blank with a large blemish right through the face and beard.  He challenged me to try to do something with it.  It sat on my desk all summer until I finally figured out what I wanted to do with it.  I view duplicarved blanks as just a starting place and did not want to do exactly what Ed had carved.  I wanted to put my own spin on it.

Since Santa has been around a while I chose to have him with an old phonograph rather than a jukebox or a modern  MP3 player.  I titled it “The Original Jingle Bell Rock.”

I chose to dress him in red long underwear and thick green socks (Sock Hop.)  The underwear trap door is partially open. I love little details that surprise the viewer. The bells and silver cord I picked up at a local craft store.  The legs and arms all exhibit lots of motion while dancing.  Do not forget to adjust the flow of the hair and beard to suggest movement and head tilt as well.

There is a peg (dowel) through the down leg.  I did this very early in the carving mounted on a scrap piece of wood.  It helped me keep proportion and perspective as the carving progressed.

The old phonograph I researched on the internet (Phonograph images.)  I chose to display it on a cabinet.  Please note the close-up of the little RCA dog on the phonograph. (“Listening to his masters voice”) The little details are so much fun!!  The flooring is carved, burned and painted on ¼” basswood and mounted on a 1 ½” routed walnut base.  The carving is finished with diluted acrylics and dry brushed for an aged effect.

 In conclusion, do not feel like you are limited to carving only one thing when you start with a duplicarved blank.  Carve what you see in it.  Your imagination is your only limitation.

Thank you Steve for once again expanding our understanding of caricature carving both in words and photographic images.