A commission to carve two Mountain Men just alike using a photograph of a clay sculpture of a mountain man became a welcome challenge. Every carving project is a learning piece with its own built in challenges. One challenge during the planning and imagining stage is to make the transition of carving a three dimensional figure based upon a two dimensional image with only one view. Three dimensional is to see the project with an “in the round perspective” while a two dimensional image is a “flat perspective.” Another challenge is to try to keep the carving as close to the original image that was a clay sculpture which means two mediums “clay” and “wood” create different surface textures and color renditions. Read the rest of this entry »
The “CAN-TIN Shop” carving inside a glass block window is kind of like a ship in a bottle, only not as intricate. This is a commission from a person who wanted a sheet metal worker working at a sheet metal machine carved inside a glass block window. This carving is a simplified interpretation of that concept where the viewer uses imagination to tell the story. This project was an assembly of parts that had to be small enough to fit through the oval opening. Epoxy and super glue were used to build up the assembly. The five inch tall man is wearing a “skull cap” that old time metal workers and mechanics often wore to cover the top of their head. The simple interpretation of the machine is to imply that it is bending the sheet of metal (tin) – once again imagination reads more into the scene than is actually there. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the Artistry in Wood banquet raffle prizes is a commemorative Helvie Knife and knife holder using the theme of Uncle Sam. This project was a collaborative effort between Don Stephenson, artist, Rich Smithson, Helvie Knife Maker and Don Mertz, carver of knife holder. Read the rest of this entry »
Artistry in Wood Show, Dayton, OH, November 14 and 15 will host a banquet on Saturday night which will include Raffle Prizes. One of those prizes is a Helvie Knife made by Rich Smithson who also wood burned the art design on the cherry handle. He utilized the art drawing ideas of Uncle Sam drawn by Don Stephenson of the Dayton Carving Club. The Uncle Sam knife holder was carved by the Wood Bee Carver, Don Mertz. Read the rest of this entry »
This Mountain Man Face with animal head dress was carved in relief on a walking stick using carving knives made from old pocket knife blades that have been reshaped in experimental designs to test their efficiency in carving. The twisted stick was an extremely white wood from a tree of unknown origin and was easy to carve without any distinctive grain pattern. The finish is artist oil paint Raw Sienna color mixed with boiled linseed oil and then sprayed with Deft lacquer.
“Man Stumped” in a new carving with borrowed design facets of a figure sitting on a stump and a figure holding a long stemmed pipe is an example of the Old and New coming together. Read the rest of this entry »
Each year at the Annual Meeting of the Caricature Carvers of America each active member participates in trading a carving with each other using a scheduled formula. The WOOD BEE CARVER carved a Whittle Doodle as his 2015 Trade Piece. Read the rest of this entry »
21 Whittle Dwarfs recently carved and ready for public parade. Carved out of an inch square by inch and half block of basswood using only a knife to carve these whimsical characters.
