EYE
EYE STUDY is on the front side of the stick and the EAR STUDY in on the back side of the stick. The face at the top of the EYE study show the result of carving in the two eyes in a face with the added illustration of the face carved in detail with a bent pipe carved in the corner of the mouth using only a knife to make these cuts.The progressive Eye development is making a three cut triangular chip cuts along with angled notch cuts with the eye at the top carved with detail shaping of the wood.
On the back of the Eye Study stick, the Ear is progressively developed by making two notch cuts that resemble the shape of the number “7” and then the corners are sliced off to begin the rounding-shaping of the ear as it developes its detailed shaping by rounding the corners and scooping out the inside portion of the ear with the tragus of the beginning the two notch cuts in the shape of the letter “V” on its side and then a notch cut to form a “Y” shape in the inner portion of the ear. The head/face at the top of the Ear Study is carved to its basic form to illustration that a good foundation is carved first and then the detail cuts with bring the face to life.
FACE STUDY STICK ~ whittle carved with knives with four faces on each stick ~ one inch wide and and inch and half tall. Each face carved using the Rule of Three for Facial Proportions = Hairline to Eye Brow; Eye Brow to Nose Bottom; Nose Bottom to Chin Bottom in one third divisions. The width of the face is equal to two, one third proportional comparison or two thirds wide and three thirds length proportionally.
Half Pint Whittle Carvings are three inch tall figures whittle carved using only knives to shape and detail the carving project. They are called “Half Pints” because they use the half inch equals a foot scale which is “half” of the inch scale that equals a foot. A six inch tall carved figure would represent a six foot tall figure.
This is a gallery of six Half Pint Indians, each with individual characteristic that in their appearance and pose tell their own story.
Hobos of a nostalgic era of long ago and fixed in our memories are delightful subjects for a carving projects. Hobos were traveling characters who traveled from town to town and all over the country in the tradition of itinerate labors in search for work as a way of life. Cedartown Hobo was carved in a six inch by two inch square block of basswood in Wilmington, Ohio and is now living in Cedartown, Georgia to carry on the traveling way of life.
Six-inch-tall cowpokes carved as the Bunk House Five were carved in August, 2024 and now have been carved as the three-inch-tall Half Pint versions. Six-inch-tall figures are carved in the one-inch scale of an inch equals a foot. Half Pint figures are carved in the half inch scale equals a foot making them half sized to six-inch figures. The other difference is the coloration finish of Half Pint in monochrome one color of Raw Sienna oil paint while the six-inch figures are polychrome of multi color of artist oil paint. The monochrome of one color amplifies the texture of the carved surface making “texture is color” effect.
The Wood Bee Carver has reached that age-old age of 84 with its “slowing down stage” of activities. Wood carving has been central and active part of creative endeavor for fifty years. “Carve to stay Sharp” is my way to keep carving skills up and running since I no longer teach or do carving shows.
This Gallery is a presentation of recent carvings of Favorite Carving Projects in their Dressed Up coloration. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” as the old saying goes and this Gallery will be without words other that these six subjects have been carved several times over the years reminiscent of favorite subjects carved in the Whittle-Carving style of knife carving.