Carvers are commissioned to carve various subjects that offer a challenge to grow in the carving experience.  Every carving project is a learning experience of trying new and different subjects.  Recently a friend gave a commission to carve “game pieces” for a board game in the genre of “Monopoly” but in this case is a drug intervention and instructional game for youth.

The six game pieces requested included a judge, lawyer, counselor, policeman, sheriff, and the accused.  Each was to be carved out of a three quarter inch square by and inch and half tall block of basswood and thusly “miniature” size. (click on each photo to enlarge) Read the rest of this entry »

The mental image normally associated with “Gnome”  is the little character who advertises for a travel company or for the “Garden” variety that are available in gift shops wearing a red pointed hat, blue tunic and sporting a white beard and mustache.

Gnomes are imaginary characters so it is OK to use one’s imagination in carving a gnome in a non-traditional style.  In fact carving should be a creative process that allows imagination to be set free to create in a style only imagination can visualize.  All too often in the carving journey a carver wears a strait jacket of staying within the lines of convention by carving in a predetermined style or one similar to what everybody is carving. Read the rest of this entry »

“Sidekick”  is a representation of an old cowboy who has been around a long time with dependable friendship and loyalty to be trusted to help out in a pinch and always reliable.

Sidekick was carved out of an inch and half square by six inch tall block of basswood and colored with artist oil paint mixed with boiled linseed oil in the Painting Softly style. (click on photo to enlarge) Read the rest of this entry »

    “Scrapper”  is a nick name given to a carving project that is carved into a “scrap” piece of wood.  Scrapper is a way to fulfill the Old Carver’s Law: “Leave no wood un-carved.”   This four faced Scrapper was carved out of a one inch tall, two inch wide and one inch deep scrap of basswood.  Often a Scrapper will begin as an intended practice carving and in this case the face with bushy hair was carved on one end.  On the other end a cigar chomping dude was carved.  With plenty of space remaining between the two faces on each end, an Indian was carved on one side and a pirate was carved on the other side.  (click on photo to enlarge)

The knife used for this carving is a homemade knife made out of blue blade spring steel with a handle made out of leopard wood.

Otis and Sloppy Joe are not only carving studies but also studies in character as they represent the contrast of personalities.  Much like the “Odd Couple” characters of movie and television fame, Otis is the neat one while Sloppy Joe is the less refined. Joe chomps down on the stub of his cigar, has no sense of color coordination nor of bothering to button all the way up.  Otis gives the polished appearance of a well-dressed man who is prepared for rain or whatever else may come up as his pipe dreams encircle his head much like the smoke from his pipe. Read the rest of this entry »

The WOOD BEE CARVER  carves continuously in the journey of woodcarving to continue to learn and sharpen the craft of carving various subjects.  Each carving project is in essence a “Study Carving” whereby lessons are learned through the innovations of designs and the stretching of ability through challenging innovations.  Such carving projects become the subject for an instructional posting on this blog as well as a Go-By for a carving class.  Even though the subjects may have been carved previously, yet each time a similar subject is carved it becomes a new carving with slight tweaking of design, pose or feature.  Thus no two carvings are exactly alike as each takes on its own personality and characteristic. Read the rest of this entry »

Buzz Buzzard  is a character study of a caricature of an old man standing at the twilight of days with a gaze back in time to a younger time when spring was in his step and winter was a cold breeze far away.  Now the days have accelerated towards the winter of his days with only summer memories to warm his soul. At least that is one story this carving may be telling since the purpose of a carving is to tell a story to the imagination of the observer. Read the rest of this entry »