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 »
A “Slug” is sometimes referred to as a “slow and lazy person” as in “sluggard.” It also refers to gulping down a drink, a type setting term used in the old printing business, a fist punch thrown in a fight, a bullet and a counterfeit metal disk inserted into an old time slot machine. In the case of HOBO “SLUGGS” the nickname is for a shiftless traveler of the road who is thought to be a lazy person but in this hobo’s case he is “slow” by never getting in a hurry as in taking life “slow and easy.”
Such a “slow and easy” temperament makes “Sluggs” a likable character who wiggles his way into the heart of everyone he meets. His outer appearance may show the wear and tear of the hobo way of life while the aura of his personality suggests that pretense does not always tell the true story. “Slow and easy,” is to savor each moment of the day, relish the strength of friendship and bask in the wealth of memories remembered and being made. Sluggs reminds us that we all cannot be footloose and fancy free but we can take life “slow and easy” by not taking ourselves so seriously by taking time to enjoy the journey instead of eying the destination that is often illusive. Read the rest of this entry »
Whittle Doodles are fun whimsical carvings that are carved with the prompting of imagination in a free hand manner using only a knife to create the various embellishments in a block of wood. This Whittle Doodle MAX was whittle-carved into a four inch square block of jelutong. The monochrome finish is artist oil paint Raw Sienna mixed with boiled linseed oil with a protective finish of Deft applied after the oil finish has dried. Read the rest of this entry »
Whittle Dwarfs are fun little whimsical carvings that are carved out of an inch and half tall by an inch square basswood block. A Whittle Dwarf is primarily a head carved on top of the toes of shoes, thus the “dwarf” appearance. The eyes are covered by the hat while the nose, mouth, mustache, beard, hair, teeth and ears are carved to represent the simulance of a caricature face. They are good practice carving exercises in a small package while at the same time offering a variety of facial poses that bring a smile to the viewer as well as the carver. Earlier Whittle Dwarfs postings appear in the Category of “Carving Projects.” (click on photo to enlarge)
