SECRET TO SUCCESS ~A motivational speaker opened his remarks by saying, “The secret to my success is that I have always followed the two ‘Rules of Success,’ Rule number 1, ‘Never tell everything you know,’ … The audience waited with baited anticipation for the second rule and then it dawned on them after a long pause that Rule 1 was the clue to not telling the second rule.
Some woodcarvers want everything spelled out for the carving of a particular project that leaves nothing to the imagination. Well there is no easy path to learning to carve. There is only “learning by doing” that becomes the best path for learning to carve. The WOOD BEE CARVER’S motto: “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood,” is the rule of success for carving. Read the rest of this entry »
BUZZ: Check out two new additions to the BEE HIVE box in the right column. Two articles reprinted by permission by CHIP CHATS written by the Wood Bee Carver many years ago that still have relevant instructional information: WHITTLE FOLKS from the Nov-Dec 1992 issue and WHITTLE FOLK ‘POKES from May-Jun 1998 issue of Chip Chats. All items in BEE HIVE are visible and printable documents for instructional purposes.
BUZZ: Under the MAIN MENU check out “Blog Index Map” as an easy way to find postings by Category and Title. Another way to find postings is to check out CATEGORIES and then scroll down through each Category beginning with the latest posting down to earlier postings in order to Brose what each posting looks like. For example under CATEGORIES a new listing has been added entitled “Tu Tor Plus” which are Tutorials for frequent reference.
BUZZ: The Comments function on the blog is “blocked” to eliminate the malicious use of spam and junk scams from using that function. Personal comments can be made by going to “About the Carver” under Main Menu for postal mail address or phone number. No email address is posted in order to eliminate spam and junk emails from affecting the carver’s email service.
The motto of the WOOD BEE CARVER “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood,” was coined in the mid 1970’s to imply that wood carvers are always learning. Carving is learned primarily by carving with the experience that the more one carves the better one carves. Simply thinking about carving, reading carving magazines, carving books or watching instructional videos while day dreaming about carving is not the same as actually using a cutting tool to shape a piece of wood. It is that familiar experience of using the cutting tool slicing through the wood in the carving process that becomes the best learning experience.
Learning to carve is an ongoing process that grows with each time one carves. The growth in learning by doing is enhanced the more often one carves. One who carves every day will grow in learning more than carving only once a week or once a month or the next carving seminar. If one is not familiar with the various cuts the cutting tool can do in shaping a block on wood, then one struggles with making any cuts. That struggle is handcuffed by being afraid of making a wrong cut because one has not yet learned the various cuts that can be made. That struggle becomes more difficult from the lack of practice of shaping the wood by impeding the ability to see or imagine a cut before it is made. Looking and studying a completed carving either as a model go by or a photo of a carving without imaging how the cuts were made to shape the carving will confuse the occasional carver. Practice, practice, practice is only advised because it works and if one practices doing nothing one gets pretty good at doing nothing. On the other hand, if one carves more, one learns and becomes a better carver in that kind of practice. Read the rest of this entry »
The carving pictured to the left came up missing at a recent woodcarving show by a “sleight of hand” purchase of a “display only” carving. After having posted its being missing on this blog (now deleted) and on Woodcarving Illustrated Forum and Facebook, the person in possession of the carving telephoned and then returned the carving by mail. Without going into a lot of detail, suffice it to say that the carving is safely home.
Whittle Doodles carved by the WOOD BEE CARVER as examples of what can be carved using only a knife carving free hand designs. Whittle Doodles are never for sale other that being donated for woodcarving shows and club’s silent auctions, raffles and fund raising activities. The one in the photos received a blue ribbon at the 2009 CCA Competition and is a less than two inch square block. It is “priceless” to the artist who is happy to have it back home. Read the rest of this entry »
SPUD BILLY SEZ : “Cool Links” on this blog list vendors, organizations and individuals who might have items for sale or services that are of interest to woodcarvers. Do not trust an email to always get through due to security systems on some computers. Back up an email with a phone call or phone first to be sure of availability of items desired. Bud Murray found many emails from potential customers had gone into the spam folder, so if someone did not hear back from him, accept his apology and next time give him a phone call. Thanks.
“No Comment,” is the position of this blog as its main purpose is instructional, informative and encouraging of woodcarving. Other blogs may be set up for interactive comments and ongoing discussions, but for this blog, comments are not solicited due to uncontrollable spam and spurious dirty tricks. So do not try to log in to make comments because that function is basically blocked.
“About the Carver” under “Main Menu” has contact information for any specific question.
“No Sale” from this blog which is designed to give instructional, informational and encouraging of woodcarving items of interest to all who visit. The WOOD BEE CARVER participates in a few woodcarving shows throughout the year where carvings may be purchased.
Woodbeecarver.com is a virtual tour of the journey of carving projects and ideas by the WOOD BEE CARVER that are shared openly to all who visit by way of the internet.
Thank you for your visits and always remember “Would be carvers would be carvers it they would carve wood.” After each visit, carve something on your own realizing “that the more you carve the better you carve” and the only way to learn is to “carve as often as possible.”
The beginning of a New Year signals a clean slate of opportunities and possibilities for having a “Carveful” New Year. Like a block of wood awaits the heart and hand of creativity to unlock its secrets, so the New Year awaits the carver to carve out a new niche for creativity. That will only happen as hand is put to the carving tool to guide its sharpness into the wood to shape it. Carving is learning by doing and the only way one grows in the carving experience is to carve. “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood,” has been the WOOD BEE CARVER’S motto born out of the experience of carving for over forty years.
None of us are getting any younger and we lament for not starting to carve earlier in life. Well, today is the rest of our lives, and to make the best of the life we have left, today and every day is the best time to carve more to open up the secrets hidden in the carving experience. Read the rest of this entry »
