The photograph shows a Clown writing pen and a Hobbit carved recently for Helvie Knives for their private collection. The writing pen began as a ball point pen cartridge inserted into a short and a longer block of basswood to see an example of what could be carved as a carved writing pen. The Hobbit was carved out of a five inch tall by two and three quarters inch square block.
A picture is worth a thousand words suggests what can be learned from studying pictures in this photographic journey.
The first photographic journey is of the Clown writing pen showing the front and back view followed by a picture of the Helvie Signature Series # 3 knife used to carve the Clown.
The Hobbit was carved to form using a Helvie Limited Special Edition larger two and a half inch scimitar blade in a Pakkawood handle. A smaller two inch scimitar bladed knife, the Signature Series # 2 and a Collector’s Series knife were used for refining the form into detail carving of the overall figure Read the rest of this entry »
Don Stephenson, my artist friend who continues to come up with neat carving ideas has done it again with a “Hillbilly Drawing.” This hillbilly captures the mental image of how most people picture a hillbilly. All art is an interpretation of an idea, an image or a memory. Art is also fluid as one interpretation flows into another interpretation so that one subject can have many interpretations without any duplication of theme, appearance or appeal.
A drawing of a hillbilly is a two dimensional interpretation while a carving of that same hillbilly becomes a three dimensional interpretation of the two dimensional drawing. A drawing of a hillbilly is in one medium of art while a carving of that same hillbilly is in another medium. Don Stephenson’s drawing of a hillbilly was used as inspiration for carving a hillbilly out of an inch and half square by six inch tall block of basswood using a Bud Murray 539 knife as depicted in the first photograph in the photo journey below which shows various views of the completed carving of a hillbilly. The carving is finished with artist oil paint Raw Sienna mixed with Boiled Linseed Oil to produce on monochrome finish in order to emphasis that “texture is color.” Read the rest of this entry »
It has often been said that “variety is the spice of life,” and the same is true for carving projects that continue to be a “variations on a theme.” The carvings pictured in this posting are carvings that are repeats of earlier carving projects.
Included in the photographic journey are practice face carvings, three inch tall figures and a six inch tall fisherman.
Often I have suggested that when a carver completes a carving project that carver should carve another one of the same theme. The purpose of such an activity is to experience “the more one carves the better one carves.” When carving the first one, the creative sub conscious is recording all that went into the carving process. When carving the second similar project, the creative sub conscious partners with the carver to make subtle design changes as well as guide the carving process to create a newer version that is just a little better than the previous carving. If the carver continues to carve another, then another, then another of the similar project the “variations on a theme puts the spice of life” into each carving. Carving practice faces will lead to carving faces with a variety of personalities depicted in each face carved. Practice “spices up” the carver’s carving resulting in experiencing the “Spice of Life.” Read the rest of this entry »
Don Stephenson, aka: the “Idea Monster” and artist friend who continues to come up with unique carving ideas through his creative drawing has come up with another one that has turned into a carving. This drawing appeared on the back of an envelope that Don sent to me containing other drawings.
This old geezer dressed in his night shirt and night cap is carrying his candle to light his path from bed to the bathroom as old men are prone to do during the night. He is named “Knight Capp” as a play on the spelling of words with an upside down meaning of the term.
Knight Capp is carved out of an inch square by three inch tall block of basswood using only a knife to shape and detail this carving. A Bud Murray Knife #539 was used in the carving. The challenging parts of this carving include carving a mouth without dentures, carving bare feet and the candle held in one hand. An old man without dentures tends to narrow the face, hollow in the cheeks, sink in the mouth with wrinkled lips and protrude the chin. Read the rest of this entry »
Hillsboro Hobo was carved out of a two inch square by six inch tall block of basswood using a Bud Murray Knife # 529. Typical motifs characteristic of the mental picture of a hobo are depicted in this carving. “Clothes make the man” or in this case “make the hobo” with torn elbow of jacket, torn shoulder seams and torn knee of trousers. Patches at the elbow, knee and seat of the pants along with a disheveled shirttail plus the toes coming out of his shoes all add up to the appearance of a hobo. The traditional bindle bag tied around a walking staff complete the attire of a hobo.
The photographic journey that follows presents several views of the completed and painted hobo. The last four photographs show the beginning stages of carving a hobo with guidelines drawn to show where the hobo is inside the block of basswood along with the completed carved and painted hobo. Notice that the hat and head have been carved to basic form which allows for the remaining portion of the block to be divided by the Rule of Three of Body Proportions (shoulder to waist; waist to mid knees; mid knees to bottom of feet). Within these proportional divisions the arms, legs, coat tail and shoes can be drawn to coincide with the posture and stance of the hobo figure. Read the rest of this entry »
Gandalf , the wizard of Lord of the Rings fame, was carved using a Signature Series knife made by Helvie Knives as per my design. This particular knife is called a Universal Scimitar or U-2 in the Helvie Signature Series catalog of knives (click on “Helvie Knives” under “Cool Links” to get to their web site catalog). It is called “Universal” in that it can be used for all types of “Whittle-Carving” as both a roughing out blade (full length of blade) and a detail blade (quarter inch of tip of blade). The convex curve of the cutting edge allows for a slicing cut as it is pushed or pulled through the wood. The concave shape of the back of the blade in the Scimitar blade shape allows for reaching in areas where other blade shapes cannot reach as well as provide an easy roll out of slicing cuts. The handle is a fat cigar shape that fits the palm of the hand comfortably allowing for the knife to be rotated easily so that the blade can cut upside down, right side up, sideways and in any direction needed to make a slicing cut. The tang portion of the blade between the handle and where the cutting edge begins is extended to allow for reaching across a large area without being impeded by the end of the handle. Also this design allows for the index finger to wrap around the tang portion of the blade when choking up on the blade for precise slicing and detail cuts. Read the rest of this entry »
