Just in time for Christmas, Steve Prescott has shared one of his latest caricature creations. In his own words he tells a little about how this idea came into reality while offering a few instructional insights along the way. In his own words, Steve says: Read the rest of this entry »
Jim Hecker is a good carving friend from Minnesota who knows about Gnomes, Tomte and Nisse and carves them as one of his carving subjects. He is giving a photographic and word essay of these delightful little creatures in his own words:
Gnomes originated in early Scandinavia and can be found in all of the Scandinavian countries. Over time they also established themselves in Europe, Russia, and Siberia. In the late nineteenth century many of them immigrated to Canada or the United States, especially the Upper Midwest where it stays a bit cooler. A gnome would be called a Tomte in Swedish and a Nisse in Norwegian. I like to use the name Tomte in recognition of my Swedish heritage.
The Tomte figure is associated especially with the Christmas season as the bearer of gifts, which may be why some think they are distant relatives of Santa Claus. The Tomte and his colleagues are around all year and they would be a great asset to any farm, home, or business. If treated well, a Tomte can be a good helper and faithful companion for his hosts, potentially bringing them good fortune and protecting them from misfortune. A Tomte is usually friendly, but if mistreated or scoffed at, he can also be mischievous, even a bit nasty. Many people confuse the Tomte and Nisse with trolls, but three biologists who were consulted do not feel they are related. Woodcarvers Harley Refsal and Joel Hull are my main sources of information about the Tomte and Nisse. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by: woodbeecarver in General
“Four Faces” was the blue ribbon winner in the Miniature Class at the Artistry in Wood Show in Dayton in 2012. Pictures of other winners may be viewed on the Dayton Carvers Guild website http://www.daytoncarvers.com/ Click on link and be amazed at the beauty and artistic appeal of woodcarvings and wood working projects. Plan now to attend the 2013 show November 9 and 10.
John Niggemeyer and his wife Sara of Heath, Ohio are regular exhibitors at woodcarving shows in the Ohio area. John is a prolific carver of various carving subjects be it chip carving, realistic, bark, caricature or ornamental. His creative eye as well as his sharp carving ability always display an unique and eye popping carving display. Here are examples of his carvings at a couple of recent shows that also show the many ribbons his carvings garner. John is truly an inspiration to all who admire his creativity. And besides that he and Sara are the nicest people one will ever meet. Thank you John and Sara for your friendship to the carving family. Read the rest of this entry »
Woodcarving is an open door to friendships made and being made. A carving can be an extension of the personality of the carver, so much so that we can know the carver through their carvings without having met one another in real life. Such friendships also happen in a casual meeting at a woodcarving show or in a carving seminar. Such was the case when Karen Scalin came to the Artistry in Wood Show in Dayton, Ohio in November of 2012. Listening to her passion for carving opened the “carving friendship door” to receive two photos of her style of carving. Those two photos needed to be shared with the visitors of this blog along with reading her story as an encouragement to us all to grow our passion for wood carving. So here is Karen in her own words: Read the rest of this entry »
Rich, Holli and daughter Skylar Smithson are owners and manufacturers of Helvie Knives which includes their signature series. The carving of Cinderella utilized three Signature Knives in carving a ten inch tall Cinderella on a two and a quarter inch by four and a quarter inch base. Skylar especially likes the Princess characters of Disney creation and is the recipient of this carving to add to her collection as a three and half year old who loves wood carvings.
Every carving project is a learning experience in which the carver attempts to create the best features of a particular subject. Carving the female face is more of a challenge than doing a caricature of a male face because female features are soft while the male face has hard lines. So even though Skylar immediately recognized the carving as being Cinderella by saying “It is HER,” yet from this carver’s perspective the face is not as soft, feminine or as youthful as had been hoped. So it is back to trying again on the next feminine project to carve the face closer to as it should be. This is another example that carving is an every growing and learning experience with each carving being simply a “practice piece” from which to continue to do one’s best. Read the rest of this entry »
Pictured to the left are the Survivor Students of the Whittle-Carving Class taught in Camdenton, MO (Lake of the Ozarks region) August 3-5, 2012. Included in the photo are Jim Wilson, Ray Fisk, Wally Norman, Jim Long, Brad Welch, Bonita Richards, Carolyn Curtis, Tom Wyrink, John Sejod, Barry Gentile, Tom Leaset, Marilyn Peck, Ken Gossage and Bud Murray.
Students learned in the knife carving class the basics for using a knife in a slicing action to make notch cuts and three cut triangular cuts to open up a block of wood for additional cuts to shape the project to its basic form. These cuts fall into the mantra that “one cut is not a cut to end all cuts,” but only an opening so that additional cuts can be made. To accomplish these lessons a three version face study stick was carved as the beginning project to not only practice the slicing cuts but also to learn about the Rule of Three of Facial Proportions. Read the rest of this entry »
