~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next to carving eyes and next to carving the human face, carving hands can be a challenge to carvers.  Hiding hands in a pocket is the easy way out and the quickest way to produce a boring carving.  Like any other carving project, carving hands is a matter of first taking a good look at hands, studying hands and then practice carving hands on a scrap piece of wood.  These “scrapper” lessons are beneficial in the long run. Read the rest of this entry »

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First things first are always important in the carving process.  Carving a good foundation of the basic form first allows the details to be carved in their proper places.  These four photographs show “carved to form” caricatures ready for detail carving to take place.  The first two photographs show a block of basswood having the top corners rounded into a dowel shape to receive the hat and head of the caricature as well as the back of the arms and shoulder area sliced forward on the back side of the block.  Each block is standing profile with a “carved to form” caricature for comparison.  The next two photographs show four “carved to form” caricatures to be studied as a short tutorial in “form ready for detail.” The lesson of this “Short Tutorial” is that there are no short cuts to carving the details.  First the form and then the detail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

A carved knife blade cover is attractive and offers protection while at the same time is a curiosity piece for fellow carvers who would also like to make their own blade cover. Read the rest of this entry »

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carving faces is one of the most important features of carving a likeness of a human.  The face is the central focal point of any carving in the likeness of a human be it realistic or caricature.  Carving a bust is ninety percent face and ten percent the chest area of a bust.  It is the head covering and the clothing outfit that determines the character of the bust while almost any face could go with any of the outfits.  Thus learning to carve faces is essential to carving a full figure as well as a bust, a bottle stopper or a shelf squatter. Read the rest of this entry »

The Helvie Hobo was carved for Rich and Holli Smithson who are owners and manufacturers of Helvie Knives.  They are producing a “Signature Knife” of my design of blade and handle shape.  The hobo was carved exclusively with the “Signature Knife” in the photo.  Their  daughter Skylar likes to be included in collecting wood carvings.  Skylar is all smiles with the snowwoman gift by the WOOD BEE CARVER and the Santa by Will Hayden. Read the rest of this entry »

Conewago Carvers of East Berlin, PA hosted a three day class with thirteen students who survived a Whittle-Carving experience taught by the WOOD BEE CARVER July 8, 9 & 10.  Pictured in the photo are (left to right front row) Dave Parker, Joan Hiser, Rose Huth, Jim Hiser, John Huth (back row left to right) Adam Ciemniechi, Jake Deery, Ed Otto, Gerald Smith, Tom Borecki, Ralph Buruick, Bob Hershey and Bruce Stake. Read the rest of this entry »

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charles and Doris Leverett hosted a three day class, June 17, 18 and 19 at their rural Northeast, Alabama carving studio.  Seven students survived the rigors of learning about the A-B-C’s of Face Carving.  Those pictured are (front row right to left): Hugh O’Neal, Bob Zenoble, Mike Lancaster, Doris Leverett,  (back row, left to right) Joe Cernut, Murrel Mc Curley, David Wilson and Charles Leverett. Read the rest of this entry »