The year was 2011 and a patron requested a commission carving of Harriet Tubman. Such an iconic historical figure whose contribution to freedom and consciousness to the moral character of our nation’s greater good is a humbling charge to memorialize in a wood carving. To add to the pressure of accomplishing such an endeavor is to understand the love, honor and respect the patron had for Harriet as a hero to her people as well as all she accomplished for her race and for women’s suffrage. A daunting task that required study and research by the carver to come to know Harriet Tubman as one who lives on through her humanitarian acts of bravery to lead many of her people to freedom from slavery by way of the Underground Railroad and moral leadership as an abolitionist and suffragist. The U.S. Treasury on April 20, 2016 honored her memory with the announcement that Harriet Tubman will be the new face on the twenty dollar bill by 2020. Read the rest of this entry »
FACE BLOCK carved with four faces in a segment for a walking stick raffle for the Miami Valley Woodcarving Show ~ March 5 and 6 in Middletown, Ohio. Basswood block measures two inches by three inches and the coloration is a stain of Raw Sienna mixed with boiled linseed oil. Faces were carved using only a knife is the Whittle-Carving style of the WOOD BEE CARVER.
The process of carving the MOTHER and CHILD is an ongoing study every time it is carved with varying interpretations. It begins with a mental image that has developed in the memory of having seen many interpretations of the Madonna and Child of the Nativity in various artistic presentations. The two photographs above show a miniature Mother and Child in front of a block of wood and a completed carving of Mother and Child. The miniature was carved several years ago as an exercise of creative memory shaping a small block of wood using only a knife. The miniature serves as a point of reference of a mental image growing in its interpretation. A series of photographs showing various views of the completed Mother and Child begin this study. Following will be photos of the progressive stages in the carving of Mother and Child. Read the rest of this entry »
It has been said that “variety is the spice of life” and that same spice is experienced by the carver whenever carving a variety of subjects. Most of these “spice of life” carvings are either gifts or destined to be gifts. Each is displayed here in photographic form as a display of carvings done for the fun of it by bringing a smile to the soul of the carver and the recipient.
The variety of Santa pins is destined to become gifts during the holiday season of Christmas. Some are the traditional red and white Santa while others depict “black” Santa, a green hat Santa, a natural wood finish Santa and holly Santa. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
