The carving subject called an Old Geezer has been carved several times and in this instant is serving as a “Creative Guide” in the carving journey.

The Wood Bee Carver has learned in the journey of wood carving the valuable lesson of carving the same subject several times. The Motto: “Would be carvers would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood,” was developed from experience of learning while doing as the essential ingredient for learning to expand the carving experience. Lessons learned include: “The more one carves the better one carves since one learns to carve by carving,” ~ “Keep carving and carving will keep you carving,” ~ “Practice makes PROGRESS,” ~ “If it can be imagined it can be and imagination is the guiding Force in the carving process, so let the Force be with you,” ~

Carving the same subject several times is not a series of “copycat” reproductions that are exact copies of the original.  Rather, each additional edition of the same subject is an “interpretation” of the original in which the interpretation creates a new and unique personality and visual variations of the subject.  “Carving is the journey more than the destination” that guides the carver, in that the journey is the “doing” part of the carving process and the destination is the completed carved project. The “doing” part of the journey is a partnership with creative imagination, skill of tool shaping the wood, previous experience and being in the zone of allowing this partnership freedom to go out on the limb of creativity to make innovative shaping cuts during the act of carving.

  [Click on photos to enlarge]

The three versions of the six-inch, three-inch and two-inch-tall Old Geezer, as a kind of cloning of the same subject in various sizes illustrates a chain reaction of creativity as to what is learned in carving the original is remembered while carving the second and the combination of the first and second learned process will guide in carving the third. Thus, the example of “the more one carves the better one carves” as the past experience guides the future process of carving the next project.  Gerald Sears, well known carver once said, “Every carving project is practice for the next project,” which is another way of saying the same process.  Every carving project is a challenge along the carving journey and it helps to remember that “Challenge is a teacher of unknown lessons,” that will teach things during the carving process no matter it be a new or an old familiar carving project.  Enjoy the journey and appreciate the challenge.

Click on Old Geezer Apocalypse to view earlier examples of this same subject.