CLASSICS are carvings from an earlier time that have sentimental value in the carver’s collection. Read the rest of this entry »

Carving “LOU” the Cat was an exercise in carving outside the comfort zone. Woodcarving is a learn by doing process making every carving project a learning experience and a practice carving. Carving a project that is outside the carver’s comfort zone is especially a stretch in the learning process.

A “Merry Christmas” greeting in the form of a Whittle-Carved Santa ornament (6 ” x 4″ x 1/4″ ~ basswood).  Whittle-Carved means carved using only knives to shape and detail the carving.

Hillbilly caricatures have been a common theme in the carving of figures.  Roscoe and Rufus are six-inch-tall hillbilly caricatures Whittle-Carved using only knives to shape and detail the basswood block.

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The best way to test a knife is to use it almost exclusively in a carving project to experience all the various slicing cuts it can make to shape the block of wood into the envisioned image of the carving project.  In this test a six-inch-tall woodworker is holding a saw in one hand and a hand plane in the other hand.  The completed carving is seen in the opening photos.

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Whittle Folk Trolls have been an exploration in carving three-inch-tall characters that have bushy hair, beards and mustaches, long muscular arms and bare feet.  Each one is a learning carving project and practice carving to learn to make each one a little different with facial characteristics and subtle changes in appearance.

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It has been said that there are three ways people learn, that is, they learn by observation, by reading and by touching the wet paint. The same can be said about learning to carve as it is beneficial to be observant, to read and to touch the carving knife to the wood to experience leaning to carve by carving.

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