This photographic journey is of two interpretations of the Good Shepherd. The first series of photographs is the first one carved. The beginning basswood block was nine inches tall, three inches wide and two inches deep. Five HELVIE Knives were used in the carving of each Good Shepherd. Knives used were Signature Series # 10 ~ Hornet Bee, #13 ~ Bumble Bee, # 14 ~ Wasp Bee, #16 ~ Side Winder Bee, and # 17 ~ Side Winder II Bee. (See postings about the use of Side Winder knives December 16 and January 3.) Read the rest of this entry »
The Heart Angel is a stylized interpretation of a “messenger” of love and hope. This carving began as a commission to be a sister’s gift to a sister who is facing another chapter in surviving cancer. A stylized interpretation was chosen so that the overall silhouette would open up imagination to personalize the angel. The silhouette of the stylized wings formed the shape of a heart as well as the shape of the prayerful hands and drapery of the sleeves form an imaginary heart. Read the rest of this entry »
Three old Friends, a Hobbit, a Gnome Wizard and a Red Beard Pirate are presented within this photographic essay as the latest edition of carving a previously carved subject. Read the rest of this entry »
Glenn Stewart of Hawesville, Kentucky originated the design of a Turkey and Santa carved back to back. He gave me the pattern fifteen years ago and recently wrote an article for Woodcarving Illustrated on this Turkey and Santa carving. Read the rest of this entry »
This carving represents the carving of a Chris Hammack rough out. Chris is a very accomplished caricature artist who passes on his creative instructions through his various rough out projects. Carving a Hammack rough out allows a little of Chris’s creativity to rub off on the carver if the carver is willing to learn while doing.
Recently the WOOD BEE CARVER sat in on a Chris Hammack class to carve along with the students by carving a Hammack rough out entitled Bull’s Eye Bob. The photographs reveal the end result of Whittle-Carving a rough out using only a knife. The polychrome finish is artist oil paint mixed with boiled linseed oil in the Painting Softly method. Read the rest of this entry »
Rich Smithson of HELVIE KNIVES did me a great favor by making the cherry plaque and stand for the CCA Best of Show Trophy and wood burning the CCA Logo and lettering on the plaque as a base for the Hobo carved to complete the trophy. So for his generosity I carved for him the Helvie Pirate to be added to his carving collection. The knives used to carve the pirate were Signature Series #10 HORNET BEE, # 13 BUMBLE BEE and # 6-2 MINI MERTZ II as pictured in the first photograph. The continuing photographs are a visual study of the characteristics of what makes a carved figure into a pirate. (click on each photo to enlarge.) Read the rest of this entry »
