Don Worley created the No See-Ums and has been teaching these delightful carving projects to various students. The ones pictured here were carved by Caricature Carvers of America member, Tom Brown. Don taught a class for the Eastern Woodland Carving Club, Converse, Indiana last year where Tom Brown and Gary Freeman became “hooked” on carving No See-Ums.
Gary Freeman carved these versions of No See-Ums. More about No See-Ums can be seen in two previous postings on November 21, 2008 and February 2, 2009.
Wayne Shinlever of Knoxville, Tennessee learned from Don Worley how to carve No See-Ums at the 2008 Dollywood Carving Show and since Wayne is a Santa carver he carved his version of a No See-Ums.
No See-Ums have become very popular with carvers who have tried these easy and fun projects. Thanks to Don Worley for introducing this very “addictive” carving project to the carving world.
Santa sitting on a gift card was first carved in 2001 from an original design drawn by Glenn Stewart of Hawesville, Kentucky. It is carved out of half inch thick basswood approximately four inches high and wide. The size can be varied either a little larger or a little smaller. It is basically carved as a relief carving using traditional caving tools of small gouges, V tool and a knife.
Even though the WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver, yet learning to carve using real carving tools and other carving styles is a way to stretch one’s horizons. As often as I have a chance I take a carving class for the experience of learning something new and challenging.
Every carver should consider taking a carving class from time to time for learning and inspiration. We can read and study carving books and magazines, be observant at wood carving shows and participate in woodcarving club activities, but nothing takes the place of participating in a carving class. One learns not only from the instructor but also from fellow students. And besides it is a great way to makes good friends. Read the rest of this entry »
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” and sometimes looking at the pictures tells more than what can be read. Thus this HOBO FACES STUDY is just that, a study of pictures, so click on each one to enlarge to study the features and look for how the face was proportioned using the RULE OF THREE as discussed in the three previous posts. Keep in mind that each of these hobos were carved using only a knife in a style I call “Whittle-Carving.”
In the two previous posts Rube and Cedrick were introduced. They stand five inches tall and are now joined by Half Pint who stands two inches including the base he is standing on. Half Pint is the same design and pose of Rube and Cedrick and the RULE OF THREE was used on Half Pint to maintain body and facial proportions.
In every block of wood there is a carving subject waiting to be set free by carving away all the wood that does not look like the subject imagined. Or so the old saying goes.
Such is the case of the subject of carving a hobo envisioned in a block of wood. The first photo shows Sage of the Road standing in front of a basswood block. Sage was used as a model for the Hobo Rube whose story was told in the February 26, 2009 posting of “Carving Hobo Rube.” The second photo shows Rube standing in front of a block of basswood from which Hobo Cedrick will be carved in this posting. Read the rest of this entry »
Sage of the Road is a hobo carving that is serving as a model for another hobo carving of Rube who will be carved out of the basswood block standing behind Sage of the Road. The block is five inches tall by two and a half inches square. Hobos are nostalgic and romantic figures of a by-gone era that some call the “good ole days.”
Hobos began around the American Civil War and were itinerant labors who traveled all over the country in search of adventure as well as work. It has been said that a “hobo is one who travels for work, a tramp travels but will not work and a bum neither travels nor works.” Some say that the term “hobo” is a shortened version of “hoe boy” or an itinerant farm laborer who carried his hoe with his bindle bag tied to the hoe handle. Read the rest of this entry »
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The carving subject called “The Fundamentalist” has been carved several times. The August 20, 2008 posting offers a tutorial on carving a six inch tall Fundamentalist. In this posting the approach will be to offer several photographs as a visual study in the various stages in the carving of two Fundamentalist, twelve inches tall. A visual study is to study each photograph by allowing the eye and mind to explore the carving progressions imagining the carving process. Sometimes this is the best way for self discovery rather than having everything spelled out without reading between the lines. Read the rest of this entry »
