Dave Stetson, carver, instructor and author, is one of the founding members of the Caricature Carvers of America whose style of caricature carving bares his own signature of movement and animation. Such a style does not happen without a lifelong pursuit of the art of imbuing life into a carving by continuous study, observation, experimentation and imagination. Three of his carvings in the WOOD BEE CARVER’s collection will serve as a visual tutorial to begin seeing animation in the various angles of the pose and posture of a caricature figure. By visually studying each carving in the series of photographs one can begin to see how to emulate similar animation in one’s own carvings. (Click on photos to enlarge.) Read the rest of this entry »
Norb Hartman recently gifted me with a personalized love spoon that has a “WOOD BEE” at its top who has a carving knife in each of its hands as can be seen in the photos above that frame a picture of Norb. Read the rest of this entry »
The mention of the name of John Burke brings up untold memories in the heart and minds of carvers who have been inspired and influenced by one of the best. At the 2011 Belleville, IL carving show a memorial display of some of John’s art was presented to honor his memory. Photographs of that display are shared with this blog by long time carving friend Bob Jager. So as these photographs are viewed may we all learn again from the creativity of John Burke. Read the rest of this entry »
A carving friend to the entire woodcarving community is “Ol’ Don” Burgdorf who has been a friend as guest of any carver’s inspiration through his “Doodles ‘n Notes for Carvin’ Folks” and his instructional web site http://artofdon.com . He has granted permission for some of his intellectual property to be resourced on this blog for instructional purposes. Under the box on the right column of this blog entitled “BEE HIVE” and under the title “Ol’ Don Burgdorf Face Study” are four must read and study tutorials that will benefit anyone who carves faces. “Ol’ Don” has a very unique way of coming right to the point through his art work and verbal descriptions of teaching lasting lessons. Study and put into practice what he teaches and carved faces will come alive. Thank you, “Ol’ Don.”
Just in time for Christmas, Steve Prescott has shared one of his latest caricature creations. In his own words he tells a little about how this idea came into reality while offering a few instructional insights along the way. In his own words, Steve says: Read the rest of this entry »
Jim Hecker is a good carving friend from Minnesota who knows about Gnomes, Tomte and Nisse and carves them as one of his carving subjects. He is giving a photographic and word essay of these delightful little creatures in his own words:
Gnomes originated in early Scandinavia and can be found in all of the Scandinavian countries. Over time they also established themselves in Europe, Russia, and Siberia. In the late nineteenth century many of them immigrated to Canada or the United States, especially the Upper Midwest where it stays a bit cooler. A gnome would be called a Tomte in Swedish and a Nisse in Norwegian. I like to use the name Tomte in recognition of my Swedish heritage.
The Tomte figure is associated especially with the Christmas season as the bearer of gifts, which may be why some think they are distant relatives of Santa Claus. The Tomte and his colleagues are around all year and they would be a great asset to any farm, home, or business. If treated well, a Tomte can be a good helper and faithful companion for his hosts, potentially bringing them good fortune and protecting them from misfortune. A Tomte is usually friendly, but if mistreated or scoffed at, he can also be mischievous, even a bit nasty. Many people confuse the Tomte and Nisse with trolls, but three biologists who were consulted do not feel they are related. Woodcarvers Harley Refsal and Joel Hull are my main sources of information about the Tomte and Nisse. Read the rest of this entry »
