30
Apr
Archive for the ‘Carving Projects’ Category
3
May
HEART in HEART
HEART in HEART is a carving project that inlays a carved heart inside another carved heart using contrasting wood. In the examples of the heart jewelry pin and necklace a carved basswood heart is inlayed into a butternut heart. The other example is a standing plaque with a basswood heart inlayed into a mahogany heart.
27
Apr
SHAPE UP Uncle Sam Five
The Uncle Sam Five carving project is a commission of five different poses of the character Uncle Sam. Each one begins with a six and half inch tall by inch and half square block of basswood. The SHAPE UP process begins with the guiding concept of the Rule of Three for facial proportions and body proportions. The Wood Bee Carver has used the Rule of Three proportional guide since 1995 for carving and for instructions purposes for figures of various sizes since it is a “proportional” measurement of visual divisions of using eyes rather than a measuring rule.
Quaker Meeting Couple was originally carved with six inch tall figures in a one inch scale finished with a polychrome of oil paint in multiple colors. Half Pint version is three inch tall in a half inch scale. Half Pint carvings are finished with a monochrome of one color of Raw Sienna artist oil paint to emphasize that texture is color.
25
Jan
HALF PINT BAND
The HALF PINT BAND is an interpretation of an earlier Hillbilly Band carved in the style of WHITTLE FOLK carved in the mid 80’s. Both were carved out of basswood block three inches tall and an inch square. The Half Pint interpretation however was carved in the proportional scale of a half inch equals a foot. In comparing a Whittle Folk photo from the mid 1980’s with the Half Pint Band of 2024 the differences are evident while still being similar.
23
Jan
MOUNTAIN MAN Redux
The Mountain Man holding a walking staff is a repeat of a carving project done in 2015 which can be viewed by clicking on “Mountain Man Twice” While there are similarities to the original carving project, yet it is not an exact copy since it is an interpretation of the original. Every carving project is always an “interpretation of imagination” as each new carving takes on a personality of its own as its design develops in the carving process.
Wood carving is always a partnership of imagination, skilled experience, challenge and whimsey to create an interpretation of a chosen subject. It is the combined work of the head, heart and hands of the artist to create a fresh, contemporary and alive inanimate subject of art.