The Rest of the Story can now be told about the Block Heads that were posted on February 17, 2013 in that the Bock Heads were a companion to a special knife made by Rich Smithson for the twenty fifth anniversary of the Eastern Woodland Carving Club (Converse, IN). The photos are provided by Rich and Holli Smithson along with their daughter Skylar. (Click on each photo to enlarge then use back arrow to returns to posting) Read the rest of this entry »
Members of the Lexington Woodcarvers Guild participated in a three day class April 11, 12 and 13 at the workshop of Ken and Beverly Taylor in Paris, KY. Pictured above are Don Dziubakowski, Doris Rapp, Joan Whitman, Dick Mathy, Debbie Ross, Jerry Bennett, Calvin Grant, Ken Taylor, Doug Chute, Bryan Taylor and Gary Bryant (not in picture). Read the rest of this entry »
CARICATURE CARVERS OF AMERICA announces that their latest project, the 1930’s Street Scene is available for sale with pictures and information at http://
In March Rich and Holli Smithson of HELVIE KNIVES sponsored a knife handle carving contest that was judged at the Renegade Seminar by judge Mark Akers. Four winners were recognized with the announced prizes but in reality all who submitted a carved knife handle was a winner just by participating. In the photo display below it will become quite apparent what a great variety of top notch ideas were carved into these knife handles. Congratulations to all who entered and Thanks to HELVIE KNIVES. Read the rest of this entry »
Jim and Rita Lukens from Knightstown, IN are regular wood vendors at woodcarving shows in the Ohio and Indiana area. Occasionally they will have a little block of wood with a flaw like a large knot or nature’s crack that is marked “FREE” as a good natured gesture of humor. Or perhaps they know that there are some carvers like the WOOD BEE CARVER who follows the Old Carvers Rule “leave no wood uncarved,” and will accept the “FREE” block of wood. Rita asks only that the carver bring back the block when carved to show what can be carved out of such an unusual piece of wood.
The carving of “Lukey” is the result of this “FREE” block of wood that was carved into a caricature of Jim, who is noted for chewing on the stub of a cigar. Instead of showing Rita what was carved out of the “FREE” block of wood, “Lukey” was given back to her as a gift of friendship and gesture of “one good turn deserves to be punished” with a gift of humor. Woodcarving friends are the best of friends and the best at having fun.
The WOOD BEE CARVER carves a variation on the “garden variety” of Gnomes associated with the Scandinavian origin of these delightful characters. Being mythical characters hidden from the naked eye only to be seen in one’s imagination, Gnomes can be any interpretation of the artist’s imagination. Thus the style of gnome carved by this author is of the Southwest Ohio variety of gnomes who favor a floppy style hat rather than the traditional “dunce” pointed hat. Clothing style is a little different as well but then all such variations from the original image are in the artist’s own imagination.
Gnomettes are a recent innovation that came about by request from a ninety six year old collector of a Wood Bee Carver gnome who she said her gnome was lonely and needed a companion. Read the rest of this entry »
Dusty Joe is a depiction of a character from earlier times who traveled around the country side working when necessary while enjoying a certain kind of free spirit freedom. A hobo’s life was a hard life that is romanticized today as harmless adventures of traveling men. Hobos have become fictional figures of nostalgia which takes away the reality of the struggle and difficulty of that way of life. Today we turn our heads away from the homeless as not being the idyllic hobo of yesterday. Today’s homeless have fallen on their own hard times complicated by the addition of illness, addiction and prejudice of society. The hobo is the “comic figure” while the homeless are the “tragedy figures” of the drama of life. So in no way does Dusty Joe make fun of the tragedy of social sorrow but seeks to perk up the inherent worth each person possesses no matter one’s station in life. Read the rest of this entry »
Scrapper Face Study is using scrap blocks of wood to carve a variety of faces for creative fun as well as study of creative variations in facial expressions. Read the rest of this entry »