Every carving project is always an interpretation of the subject being carved in partnership with the imagination and skill of carver working together in the carving process to create a carving that speaks for itself. Carving an Old Salt figure in multiple poses is to amplify the similar with the variations of posture poses so that each one is unique on their own and together in four interpretations there is a comparative variety of characteristics. The two variations are subtle facial features and the communication of the hands that individualizes each Old Salt.

The first photographic gallery will present the finished carvings in their painted appearance to be studied visually to capture how each one can stand alone to speak through its appearance.  The visual comparison is to consider how each compliments the other three without rating one as being better than another or the others. Let each tell their own story.

[Click on photos to enlarge]

The second photographic gallery pictures the beginning, progressive and final stage of the carving process of the four Old Salt sea captains.  The beginning stage is the laying out of the Rule of Three divisions with the cartoon drawings of the body proportions following the process of carving the head portion to its basic form.  Next the body portion is divided into three equal divisions of Shoulder, Waist, Mid Knees indicated by the red horizontal lines around the five inch by inch and half block of basswood.  Within those red lines the body parts are drawn as the guidelines for carving away wood in the Shape Up stage of carving to the basic form of the body.

The next series of photos are of progressive stage of showing a completed carving and one carved to basic form progressive through the four Old Salts.

The final stage is of the finished carved in derail four Old Salts.