Whittle Folk Clown Lite is a three and a half inch tall caricature of a clown whittle-carved only with a knife. He is holding a balloon and a feather to figure out which one is lighter. His coat of checker board plaid are lines carved to give texture as well as a trough to separate the colors. The coat tail as well as the extra long tie flair outward to give a sense of movement. His head is turned slightly to his left to add to the sense of movement. Read the rest of this entry »
HOLLY SNOWMAN was carved out of a six inch tall by one and half inch square block of basswood. There is a sprig of holly in the hat band of the top hat and holly leaves decorate the red tie thus giving the snowman his name of “Holly Snowman.” The checker board plaid lines of the green vest were carved and woodburned both to give texture as well as contrasting dark lines to the green vest. Read the rest of this entry »
The WOOD BEE CARVER is always trying to learn various styles of carving in addition to his normal Whittle-Carving only with a knife. Relief carving utilizes traditional carving tools as well as learning to see and carve in perspective in a shallow surface. The basswood ostrich egg with its own turned base presents another challenge with its curving surface in which to carve a relief scene. Read the rest of this entry »
The WOOD BEE CARVER has worn a black derby hat, bib overalls and a Colonel Sanders bow tie since 1976 whenever he participates in a woodcarving show. The derby hat was purchased at a church rummage sale and has become frayed around the edges over the years. That is what age will do to any of us but at any age we can still look the part. Since I wear glasses the glasses were carved without the detail of the eyes showing through the lens. This adds a bit of mystery appearance in the same way that sun glasses add to the mystery of a person’s face. In this self portrait figure the center of attention are the hands whittling while the eyes hidden behind the lens of the glasses are looking at the hands. Read the rest of this entry »
Totem Poles have a fascination of mystery surrounding their appearance as an unique form of art and carved beauty. A Totem is not a religious symbol nor an object of worship. Rather, a Totem is a carved diary or family story of symbols that tells what is very important to the people who carved and erected the Totem Pole. A Totem proclaims a clan’s or tribes status and is a symbol of the clan’s mythological history, familiar legends or notable events. The animals carved into the pole from top to bottom represents the characteristics of each animal as a guide throughout life. A Totem is an entity, such as an animal that watches over or assists a tribe or family as a spirit guide representative of the symbolic relationship between nature and human kinship. Read the rest of this entry »
The EXTREME WHITTLE DOODLE is carved especially for the Artistry in Wood Show, Dayton, Ohio on November 14 and 15, 2009 as a contribution to the Silent Auction at the Show. It is carved in a three inch square by eight inches tall block of basswood and finished with boiled linseed oil and raw sienna artist oil paint followed by brushed on coat of Deft. Whittle Doodle is a way of showcasing what can be carved using only a knife by pushing whittling to the extreme.
A dentist in Israel commissioned the carving of this caricature scene of a dentist and his patient. It appears that there is a lingering fear of going to the dentist who will extract fear out of the patient long before any teeth are extracted. Approaching this lingering fear with a bit of humor is a way to lighten any patients apprehension while poking fun at the dentist. Thus when a dentist commissions such a carving it is the dentist who has the sense of humor by poking fun at the dental profession. Read the rest of this entry »
The Three Amigos are grown up versions of Whittle Folk ‘Pokes in that they are carved from a one and a half inch square block six inches tall and were carved using traditional carving tools while Whittle Folk ‘Pokes are carved using only a knife and are only four inches tall by three quarters of an inch square. Read the rest of this entry »
