Myron Compton  of Pekin, Indiana, is pictured with his winning carving with a Lynn Doughty  original carving of Quigley Down Under.  Lynn conducted in 2010 an on-line carving contest in the Old West Challenge to carve Quigley Down Under.  Myron won the contest in which he received Lynn’s original.

Woodcarving is an open door to friendships made and being made.  A carving can be an extension of the personality of the carver, so much so that we can know the carver through their carving without having met one another in real life.  I became a friend of Myron Compton long before we ever met.  It happened by way of viewing some of his carvings as he had posted them on the Wood Carving Illustrated website Forum. Viewing those carvings as well as reading some of his comments about carving struck up an acquaintance without actually meeting.  We did meet a few years ago when Myron and his wife visited the Artistry in Wood Show in Dayton, Ohio and right away there was a reunion of kindred spirits.

It is time now to introduce a carving friend to all who visit this site through pictures of his carving along with his own words about his journey of carving. Such a visit is intended to encourage visitors to carve more and extend their personality through their own carvings to make more carving friends.  Let Myron become your friend through his words and carving interpretations depicted in the photographs. Read the rest of this entry »

Once again Don Stephenson  has honored me with a gift of one of his special drawings.  One of the very first drawings he gave me was a little wizard, which I carved and gave to him.  In doing research for the carving of Gandalf, Don was very helpful with drawings.  A recent carving of Gandalf inspired Don to allow the Idea Monster within him to come up with a drawing of the WOOD BEE CARVER as a carving wizard who magically guides his carving knife to carve a likeness of Gandalf.  Don has captured a caricature likeness of me with his whimsical creativity.  The gift of his artistic ability guided by his creative genius is only surpassed by the generosity of his friendship.  Thank you Don for all your gifts in your art of friendship.                                              Read the rest of this entry »

Jim Hecker  of Elk River,  Minnesota has graciously granted permission to post photographs of one of his carving projects he calls “Old Jim,” as well as share his carving philosophy.  In the Fall of 2011 Jim added a carving studio/shop to his and his wife Sue’s house that is 14’ by 24’.  He is pictured in his new studio with a contented smile on his face.  Another photo shows a display case with some of his carvings. Read the rest of this entry »

Steve Prescott , caricature carving artist, has demonstrated through his latest caricature carving- COWBOY LIMO  a “caricature concept” that grows into a caricature carving.  A “Caricature Concept” is the ability to create an idea that is a caricature before it becomes reality as a caricature carving.  Caricature is an “exaggeration of realism” that often begins as an “idea that becomes exaggerated.”

COWBOY LIMO  is a classic example of caricature carving that is exaggerated both in its carved presentation and as an idea or concept exaggerated into a caricature. Read the rest of this entry »

Rick Eskins,  a member of the Ashland Kentucky Carving Club has over a period of time shared photographs of his carving journey.  Every carver carves in their own style even when taking a class or using a rough out. The end result carries the signature style of the carver rather than of the teacher or teacher’s original project. Read the rest of this entry »

Caricature Carver Steve Prescott  was gracious in granting me permission to show photographs of his recent carvings.  (click on photograph to enlarge.)   Using these photographs as a visual instructor one can learn from the instruction of “reading between the lines.” Read the rest of this entry »

Don Stephenson,  my good friend whom I call the “Idea Monster”  is a carver as well as an artist with pen and paper, camera and wood burning.  Don has given me many carving ideas through his artist gift of drawing.  He is turning many of those original drawing ideas into his own carving projects some of which make up the gallery presented here.  Read the rest of this entry »