Don Stephenson is a very good friend who is an artist with a pen, wood burner and a knife. Recently he gave me the original drawings that will be used for inspiration on the cherry presentation box for the HELVIE Fund Raiser. Rich Smithson will use these drawings in an appropriate manner to decorate the box that will contain twenty one WOOD BEE CARVER Signature Knives made by HELVIE KNIVES and an original WHITTLE DOODLE carving by Don Mertz. Childhood Diabetes Research will receive the proceeds from the fund raising raffle as has been described in the two previous postings in this blog. Thanks to Don Stephenson for his creative genius and generous gifts to the arts.  Below are his drawings.

Myron Compton has been gracious enough to share photographs and written description of his journey to carve another of his wonderful cowboys. Ole Flint is a good “visual study” of an interpretation of a cowboy carving that any carver may want to try on their own. A “visual study” allows for one to exercise and encourage the inner eye of creativity to “see” this cowboy subject with an imagination of how to carve a similar cowboy. Read the rest of this entry »

Stu Martin, a carving friend to the entire carving community suffered a great loss when his truck containing all his carvings, rough outs, tools and teaching supplies were stolen in January while in Texas for woodcarving shows and seminars. His truck was found the next day by police but all his carvings and seminar supplies were never recovered. If by chance anyone sees someone trying to sell Stu Martin’s carving, rough outs or tools, on the internet or elsewhere let Stu know by calling 316-794-2678 . The photo is of Stu teaching me at War Eagle Seminars around 1996 ~ he is a great teacher and carving friend.

Jim Hecker, my friend and woodcarver from Minnesota carved a St. Nicholas for a dear lady and tells a story of the common carving journey any carver can make while creating a new subject to be carved. That journey begins with a challenge to carve a subject that is new to the carver. The challenge turns into a creative opportunity to carve an interpretation of the subject by using one’s creative imagination to plan the carving process. Creative imagination guides the carver to learn by doing and to design while carving the imagined mental picture of the subject. Jim chose to carve two of the same subject at the same time as a way to learn from the first one and take what was learned to refine the second carving. The final part of the carving journey comes with the recipient of the carving being very appreciative and the carver rewarded with the experience of learning on the carving journey. The photographs and Jim’s account of his journey indicates that he learned a carving lesson to pass on to us as we follow the wood chips of his inspiration to carve our own journey. Read the rest of this entry »

My good friend, Jim Hecker, continues to advance his style of carving through his journey of carving. This photographic journey of some of his recent carvings illustrates the winsome appeal in the facial features and body pose of his signature carvings of his creations he calls simply “Shorty” carvings. That same style is repeated in the carving of a figure called “Boss” and a cowboy bust. Take a look to admire the intricacy of the clean cuts with simply detailed lines of the design of each little figure that spells the “HECKER STYLE.” Read the rest of this entry »

OBSERVATION TECHNOLOGY is an adaption of the science of technology to the art of carving and related to the skill of carving. Yogi Berra coined the phrase, “You can observe a lot just by watching,” which when applied to the art of woodcarving, there is great value in making studied observations. Such is the case here with the studied observation of a carving by Myron Compton of Pekin, Indiana. I have observed some of his carvings over the years with an appreciative eye for his creative skill and interpretations through his carvings. His most recent carving of a cowpoke gave off an immediate invitation to “take a closer look” at this carving. Read the rest of this entry »

Chris Hammack, Caricature Carvers of America (CCA) member,  will be teaching at Sauder Village, Archbold, Ohio.  A rare opportunity invites any carver who would like to take a three day carving class with Chris Hammack in North West Ohio at Sauder Village, Archbold, OH. The class will convene preceding the 28^th Annual Woodcarving show on Saturday and Sunday where Chris will be Guest Artist and Judge. Read the rest of this entry »