MASTER SERGEANT is a commission carving that was presented as a gift by a loving wife and son to  Air Force Master Sergeant Dan J. Williams as a retirement gift.  Even though the carving is of a Civil War Union Soldier, yet some artist license was taken to include personal symbols to have significance to the recipient. Read the rest of this entry »

The MAGNIFICENT SEVEN represent the first of a beginning series of Whittle Poke Busts.  Each is carved only with a knife using a one and half inch square by three inch tall block of basswood.  A natural finish of artist oil Raw Sienna paint mixed with boiled linseed oil brings each carving to life with a soft glow that shows off the texture of the carving cuts.  Texture is color easily seen through a natural finish. Read the rest of this entry »

As a student in a class taught by Bruce Henn, I carved a Sombrero Guy using one of Bruce’s rough outs putting my own interpretation of what was inside the rough out.  Every carving project is a learning experience with challenges and new paths to follow.  That is one advantage of taking a class in that one learns not only from the instructor but also from the camaraderie of fellow students and the carving process.  There was plenty of wood within this rough out for me to turn the head slightly, thin the face and add the bandoleer across the chest of the Sombrero Guy. Read the rest of this entry »

TOM TROLL came about from my good friend Don Stephenson who gave me a  drawing of a troll.    Don is a creative artist who comes up with delightful drawings from his imaginative mind and artistic ability.  He has given me a lot of good idea drawings for carving projects that will surely come to life as a carving.  Trolls are imaginary creatures who are more lovable than scary although like humans some trolls stray from their nobler purposes.  Trolls may be ugly but ugly is beautiful if one takes the time to see the beauty. Trolls may be thick skulled but  slowness of mind understands the simple.  Often it is the simple who are the wisest and beauty is an inner quality. Read the rest of this entry »

“The more one carves the better one carves,” is part of the learning journey of woodcarving.   The two photographs are of an early version of Lone Wolf that was the subject of a previous post in early 2008. https://woodbeecarver.com/?p=192 It was whittle-carved using only a knife out of a one and half inch square by six inches tall block of basswood.  It was colored using the Painting Softly method of artist oil paint mixed with boiled linseed oil.  It was based on earlier versions of the same pose carved several times out of a smaller piece of basswood. Read the rest of this entry »

ELKHORN is another example that every carving project is a learning journey of attempting to carve certain effects into a carving.  Native Americans have been a good subject for carving projects because of their noble facial features and ornamentation of their dress. Read the rest of this entry »

LES R. MOORE is a three and a quarter  inch tall caricature carved out of basswood in the Whittle-Carving style of carving only with a knife.  He is stained with artist oil paint color Raw Sienna mixed with boiled linseed oil and finished off with a coat of Deft brushing lacquer.  Being a small figure who chomps on his cigar with a carefree attitude, Les is more than he seems.  He is kind of like a first impression in that what you first see is not always what you get.  Les never jumps to conclusions nor does he make quick decisions for there is more to Les than meets the eye.  He is a caricature carving who invites a studied look to see more  of Les. Read the rest of this entry »