Tree Noggins and Whittle Dwarfs are the “fun” carvings that are adventures in carving a variety of faces. Tree Noggins have been a staple carving venue for more than thirty years while carving about twenty to thirty a year for a local country festival.
Whittle Dwarfs have been carved for a few years based upon a drawing done by my good artist and woodcarving friend Don Stephenson. Several are carved at the same time with the intent to make each one a little different while keeping the basic format of design the same. Read the rest of this entry »
When it is said, “you got egg on your face” it means something so obvious that it cannot be hidden. On the other hand, when a wood carver says, “see the face on the egg,” it is obvious that a face has been carved into a wooden egg. (click on photos to enlarge.) Read the rest of this entry »
Tree Noggins have been a staple carving project that is a good exercise in face carving with a rustic flair as well as a novelty carving that is popular at carving shows. Here is the latest edition of Tree Noggins to compliment previous postings on the same subject. Leading the parade is another “split personality” carving in a basswood limb that contains both a white colored wood and a honey brown colored wood. Looking straight into the face one can notice a crooked smile. Looking at the profile of the white side of face one notices a smile while looking at the darker profile one sees a frown. Sixteen Tree Noggins follow in a photographic journey with a variety of faces that were all carved using only a knife. (click on each photo to enlarge) Read the rest of this entry »
Egg Noggins are carved out of a basswood hen egg into either a single head or an elongated bust. Pictured here is a clown head, a couple of Clown busts, two Pirate busts and a candle carrying old geezer in his night shirt and cap. These are a continuation of the ongoing development of Egg Noggins depicted in earlier postings. (click on photo to enlarge) Read the rest of this entry »
Basswood hen eggs provide a challenging medium for carving imaginative projects. The challenge is to carve a variety of subjects out of the unique shape of a hen egg. The egg shape lends itself to carving faces since the human face fits well within the oval egg shape. The shape also allows for the carving of the upper torso and head of a figure without legs as an elongated bust. Read the rest of this entry »
Three more Egg Noggins carved out of basswood hen eggs are examples of face carving. These are another example of Whittle-Carving using only a knife to carve facial features. Each is finished with a monochrome coloring of Raw Sienna artist oil paint and Boiled Linseed Oil mixed together. A monochrome finish amplifies the carving texture making the texture the color.
The four views of each noggin will be followed by close up views a points of interest in each noggins. To see previous postings on Egg Noggins go to “Blog Index Map” under Main Menu – scroll down to “Carving Projects” to find postings with “Egg Noggins” in title. Read the rest of this entry »
TREE NOGGINS are whimsical faces carved into basswood tree limbs to create a rustic look. Carved using only a knife, these Tree Noggins have been a fun carving project over the years that when added up total over five hundred faces carved since 1985. Read the rest of this entry »
Egg Noggins are carved out of basswood hen eggs to depict a caricature face. This photo journey are of recent “Noggins” carved for instructional purposes of the A-B-C’s of Face Carving. Each is finished with Howard Feed N Wax to bring the carved wood surface to life.
