The Helvie Knife Competition was judged at the Renegade Carving Seminar in Lebanon, TN by Steve Brown and Jon Nelson. Pictured above are the winning entries. The left photo are the winners in Open Class who were (left to right) First: Myron Compton; Second: Mark Akers; Third: Bob Hersey. Middle photo are the winners in Intermediate Class who were (left to right) First: Fred Nahlen; Second: Kathleen Mankinen; Third: Kerry Richard. The right photo are the winners in the Beginners Class who were (left to right) First: Mary K. Peterson; Second: John R. Munter; Third: Scott Boyle.
Judges Steve Brown and John Nelson had their hands and minds full of decisions to make from the abundant entries of knife handles carved from all over the country. Thanks to Rich, Holli and Skylar Smithson of Helvie Knives who sponsor this fun competition and all who participated.
The Wood Bee Carver will teach a one day class November 21, 2015 at the Woodcraft Store at Cross Pointe Centre, 175 E. Alex-Bell Rd, Dayton, OH. 45459 ~ 937-438-1282 or email dayton-retail@woodcraft.com . Read the rest of this entry »
This Mountain Man Face with animal head dress was carved in relief on a walking stick using carving knives made from old pocket knife blades that have been reshaped in experimental designs to test their efficiency in carving. The twisted stick was an extremely white wood from a tree of unknown origin and was easy to carve without any distinctive grain pattern. The finish is artist oil paint Raw Sienna color mixed with boiled linseed oil and then sprayed with Deft lacquer.
Visit http://www.cca-carvers.org/ to see the 2015 winning carvings in the Caricature Carvers of America Competition ~ there are some outstanding carvings and a lot of inspiration depicted in each photo that can be seen as a slide show as well as a full page presentation of the names of carvers with their carving photographs.
On July 19, 2015 at the Eastern Woodland Woodcarving Show in Converse, IN, the winning ticket for the Helvie raffle of a presentation box containing twenty one Wood Bee Carver Signature Series knives and a Whittle-Doodle carved by the Wood Bee Carver was won by Farley Baker of Morrow, Ohio. Many people purchased raffle tickets in this fund raiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research with the end result of $1850 for this worthy cause. Holli Smithson of Helvie Knives posted on Facebook the photo below along with the report of the total raised.
Our raffle this year went the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation and we proudly raised $1350! Rich Smithson place of employment, Walmart DC # 7055, also kicked in an additional $500! For a grand total of $1850!!! In the picture is not one, but two, of Tipton’s finest; Officers Dylan Dietrick and Robert Nunemacher along with our Skylar Smithson and fellow type 1 diabetic Eli Dollens. Thanks to all who participated!
Helvie Knives is own and operated by Rich, Hollie and Skylar Smithson and besides making high quality carving knives they are very generous in supporting a variety of worthwhile causes. Thanks for your generosity Helvie Knives.
“Man Stumped” in a new carving with borrowed design facets of a figure sitting on a stump and a figure holding a long stemmed pipe is an example of the Old and New coming together. Read the rest of this entry »
Ryan Olsen, a fellow CCA Member and a carving friend had an unfortunate accident earlier this year in that he dropped a carving knife while putting his tools in the passenger seat of the car. That dropped knife wedged itself between the seat and back of the driver’s seat. Unbeknownst to him, Ryan sat down in the seat whereby the point of the carving knife was driven into his buttock. The puncture wound healed quickly but the mental picture of such an accident could not go unpunished in that Ryan became the “butt of a joke” with a humorous carving given to him at the Annual Meeting of the CCA. The “Achilles Heel” in Ryan’s armor is depicted in the position of the knife working its way between the armor and coat of mail. Ryan is a good sport and champions the humor in an accident that gave him a point of reference about safely transporting carving tools. Thanks Ryan for your good humor.
A Whittle Doodle Mini is smaller versions of whittle-carving in a small block of basswood, in this case an inch and an eighth square by an inch and seven eighths tall. While the block of wood is smaller so are the carvings that embellish the four sides and top of the block. Doodling with a knife allows for the imagination to take the carver into the adventure of creativity with a serendipity result. Read the rest of this entry »
