The WOOD BEE CARVER often says, “The more you carve the better you carve,” and in that vein suggests that once a carving project is completed there is great value in carving it again and again.  The reason being that since each carving is a learning journey; each carving subject repeated will allow the carver’s creative sub conscious to improve on the previous carving.

In a previous Hobbit Study of four Hobbits, two of the crooked walking sticks had faces carved in the upper crook of the sticks.  Such an innovation came about while carving that portion of the stick which resembled a face of some sort.  In Hobbit Study 2 the carving of a dragon’s face was intentional based upon the previous carving journeys’ discoveries.  The pose is basically the same and yet each Hobbit’s facial personality is unique in its own right.

While studying each photo, notice the subtle folds and drapery of the robe and the flair of clothing that give a sense of movement as well as having lines that follow the “S Rule” with no straight lines.  Curvy lines are always more interesting than straight lines. Creating these flowing lines is the result of using slicing cuts with a curved cutting edge knife blade in a “slice and roll” action either in the push or pull stroke.  The knife in the photo, to carve this Hobbit,  is a Honey BEE # 7 of the Signature Series made by Helvie Knives.   

Every carving project is a learning project and Hobbit carvings  continue to teach with more lessons yet to come.  As the Old Carvers Sez, “Keep carving and carving will keep you carving.”