Jake and Zeke are an Employee of the Month caricature study of a fellow leaning on the push broom, holding a coke bottle in his other hand, shirt tail not tucked into his trousers and a wide toothy grin on his face. Two carvings of same subject are presented here as visual studies of a similar pose with the slight variation being the toothy grins.

The next series of photographs are comparison photos of a detailed carved figure standing beside a figure carved to the basic form.

Study the differences between the stages of completeness noting especially how the form for the mouth and dental curve are established before any detail carving is executed.  The dental curve follows the shape of a horseshoe curve and it is in this curved foundation that the teeth can be carved. Note on the finished figure that the corners of the mouth and the teeth disappearing back in the mouth are formed with a three cut triangular cut that provides an opening for the knife to shape the sides of the teeth disappearing back in the mouth.

Notice on the carved to form figure’s face that the foundations for the eyes have been established beginning with a three cut triangular cut in the upper corner of the eye mound and the flat plane for the upper eye lid and eye have been established with a notch cut at bottom of eye mound and the flat plane coming down to first cut from the upper eye lid ridge. Three cut triangular cuts on either side of the nose established the side of nostrils, smile line and the beginning of the mouth mound. The shape of the letter “M” can be seen after both of these three cut triangular cuts have been completed. Comparing the before and after figures one can imagine the carving process between the good foundation form and the detail carved facial features.

It is this “imagination carving” in the mind following the visual tutorial that helps one to “see with inner eye” the carving process which cannot be taught because it can only be learned within the carver’s understanding. Then as the carver uses the “imagination carving” applied to the process of shaping the wood with the carving knife the real lesson happens. Every carving is a practice piece and every carving is a learning piece and the only way a carver grows and learns is by carving again and again and again. The WOOD BEE CARVER’S motto: “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood,” is about learning; learning by doing, learning by observing, learning by imagining and learning by carving. The more one carves the better one carves. Carve to learn and learn to carve.