The drawing above was done by Don Stephenson on the back of a plastic bubble mailing envelope. Artist Don Stephenson of the Dayton, Ohio Carving Club amazes his friends and neighbors alike because whoever admires his creativity becomes an instant friend.  He is very generous with his drawing art often giving a drawing to an admiring stranger as well as his many friends. He has always drawn since a young boy and benefited from art instructors who expanded his creative horizon.  One of his jobs in earlier days was as an illustrator for the Yellow Pages telephone directory. His artistic creativity became very active to be able to respond to a wide variety of illustration subjects as needed for the directory. At carving meeting someone with mention an idea or a theme of a particular subject like a dragon, a skunk or a fish and Don will draw a themed illustration in the blink of an eye.  Whenever he mails me some of his drawings of carving ideas he also draws on the outside of the envelopes.  Early on in our friendship I gave him the moniker “The Idea Monster.”

The photos that follow are examples of his prolific and variety of drawing themes beginning with more “Envelope Art”

Next are a series of photos are of possible carving ideas.

The first carving idea Don gave me years ago became a carving and he later added it with a gift drawing to me as a “carving wizard” and included in other illustrative drawings.

Two more photos of Don’s carving ideas what become popular carving subjects in the form of Whittle Dwarfs and Hillbilly with Jug.

Dons creativity also expresses itself in comic books in which he tells the story as well as draw the story as depicted in the next two photos. Don drew himself as the Wizard on the cover in the second photo and the carving of the Wizard was done by the Wood Bee Carver and Don did the wood burning on the walking staff.

Wood burning is another extension of his art as depicted in an article who authored in the Pyrography magazine and in second photo an early wood burning. He has received many awards in coopetition at the International Woodcarving Congress for his wood burning art and local carving shows.  Each Congress he draws the design for their commemorative tee shirts.

The final two drawings are “fun” drawings.  The first depicting Bruce Henn riding a dragoon and the second of cartoon drawings of the Wood Bee Carver as a Wizard.

Thank you Don for gifting us all with the generosity of your creative art and for your friendship.