This FRIENDSHIP CARVING TREE contains carved wooden ornaments collected over the years. Each one contains a memory of the person who carved an ornament as a way of remembering those who decorate our lives with friendship. Each represents an unique style of creativity that can only be demonstrated in the individuality of personality of the carver. Each ornament has a story to tell of the generosity of friendship which like all Christmas memories is a sentimental journey. Read the rest of this entry »
MERRY CHRISTMAS – 2008 to all who visit. May “goodwill, joy, hope, peace and love” be the gift received and the gift given. An old saying advises: “A bell is not a bell until you ring it. A song is not a song until you sing it. Love in the heart is not put there to stay. Love is not love until it is given away.”
These Santa Jewelry Pins show a variety of facial expressions as well as a variation of finish. The painted Santa pins are of the traditional color of red and white. The natural finish Santa pins show off the grain of the wood as well as letting the carving cuts do the talking rather that the coloring of red and white color scheme for a Santa. Read the rest of this entry »
Tis the Season of carving Santa and Snowmen in the classic childhood memory of Christmas fondly remembered. This particular carving was a class project in a class taught by Harley Schmidgen in September 2008 at the Caricature Carvers of America Seminar in Converse, Indiana. Harley carved the original that was used as a model to make instructional rough-outs. Read the rest of this entry »
This photograph is of a gift from my wife, Frances, who commissioned Ray Kunz to carve a 40th Anniversary gift to celebrate our wedding day December 1, 1968. Two hearts are connected together with a ribbon of LOVE to symbolize the “tie that binds our hearts together in love.” Read the rest of this entry »
TURKEY/SANTA NOVELTY carvings say “Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas” at the same time as each has a turkey carved on one side and on the back side a Santa is carved using the outline of a turkey turned sideways. The original pattern and idea came by way of carver Glenn Stewart of Hawesville, Kentucky.
Pictured to the left are the eight students who survived a one day class in Whittle Folk Art on November 22, 2008. The class was held in the Woodcraft Store in Centerville, Ohio on the subject of a Santa Egg carved out of a basswood hen egg. Class participants included two youth, Kelli Becknell and Will Osbourne. Other participants were Betty Warwick, (front row) and Ken Oswald, Gil Wendt, Mark Osbourne, Barry Pennington and Don Potter (back row). The students learned the basics of opening up an egg to carve the form of a Santa using only a knife. Other instruction covered the basic proportions of the face and lay out design. Even though the class was intense, every student survived the entire day and vowed to continue carving. New friends were made and Kelli and Will did excellent carving for being new to the experience. Read the rest of this entry »
No See-ums were created by Don Worley of New Carlisle, Ohio in early 2008. He has taught several classes on these fun caricature carvings as well as numerous individual carvers. Don has been active in the Dayton Carvers Guild of Ohio and has been co-chairman many years for the annual Artistry in Wood. He is my good friend and a friend to carvers near and far. Read the rest of this entry »