Snowmen are fun little carvings that seem to catch the imagination of anyone who has a memory of making a snowman out of the first snow during childhood. In a way snowmen are one of the few positive things one can remember about snow unless one is fond of snow sports. The snow I prefer is that of memory and of carved snowmen because I am like the fellow who said he likes the four seasons of Summer= Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer and Next Summer. Read the rest of this entry »
The WOOD BEE CARVER has always practiced “learning by doing” using the philosophy: “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood.” Within that philosophy is the awareness that “Woodcarving is more the journey than the destination,” which means that it is in doing the activity of carving that is more important that the completed carving. Read the rest of this entry »
Photographs of WHITTLE DOODLE VII taken by Jack Williams may be viewed under the Main Menu page at the left entitled “Whittle Doodle IV and VII” which shows all sides of doodling with a knife on a block of wood.
These Civil War soldiers stand four and a half inches tall with a one inch square base. Carved out of basswood using only a knife, these represent a carving style called “Whittle-Carving” to illustrate that one can sculpt with a knife. The figures are colored using the “Painting Softly” process described under that same title under the section to the left called “Navigation.” Read the rest of this entry »
These two Scottish Golfers wearing kilts were carved as commission pieces. One was a gift to a friend and the other was for the commissioner. Each was carved out of basswood six inches tall by one and three quarter of an inch square using traditional carving tools. The pose of each one is a challenge to carve legs crossed while leaning on a golf club, head turned slightly and other hand holding a pipe. The stripes to form the plaid effect were drawn first with a pencil to follow the contour and folds of the kilt and then wood burned. Read the rest of this entry »
“THOUGHT FOR FOOD” is a caricature carving of an unemployed professor using a play on words by reversing a familiar saying, “Food for Thought.” This carving depicts a “long in the face” professor who is out of work sitting on philosophy books and surrounded by philosophy books which contain the “Thought” that has shaped critical thinking through out the ages. Read the rest of this entry »
“A BIRDIE” is a play on a golfing term for shooting one under par. However, if one is unfamiliar with golf, the term “a birdie” is confusing in that there is no actual “bird” involved in golf unless the golfer accidentally hits a flying bird with a golf ball. The humor depicted in this carving is the exaggeration of a birdie hatching out of a golf ball. Read the rest of this entry »
“THE FUNDAMENTALIST” is a carving of a caricature interpretation of a strong minded person who is so sure that what that person believes is the only truth and he has the proof to prove it at the end of where his finger is pointing. A fundamentalist could be a preacher, a politician, a lawyer or any opinionated person who sees things only one way, his way and wants to convince anyone who will argue with him the error of their way for not seeing things the way the fundamentalist sees things. Read the rest of this entry »
