Bonnie and Don Worley are pictured at their carving display table at the recent Middletown, Ohio, Miami Valley Woodcarving Show, March 5 and 6, 2011. Don is the creator and instructor of the ever popular No See-Ums which are seen displayed on the left corner of the table in the photograph. Additional photographs below show close ups of the No See-Ums (some with eyes) and by clicking on each photo they can be enlarged slightly for a closer look. Clicking on Don’s name above will bring up a previous posting of No See-ums which are fun to carve and once begun become very addictive to carve a few more. Don is also chairman of the world renowned Artistry in Wood Show in Dayton which will celebrate its 30th year this November 12 and 13. Thank you Don for your many gifts to the woodcarving family and especially for creating No See-Ums. Read the rest of this entry »
Hobbit characters have been popular ever since they first appeared in the writing of Tolkien and subsequent movies. A friend commissioned a carving of a Hobbit which was a new subject for this carver. So the research process that follows the initial idea for a carver began by first going to the Internet research box like Google, Yahoo and Bing. When doing such research always add the word “images” following the subject being researched in order to go to a site dedicated to innumerable images. Next step was to contact my IDEA MONSTER, Don Stephenson who knows about a lot of subjects that he can draw on a sketch pad. He drew up several examples of Hobbits on paper, then drew a Hobbit on the note he included with the drawings, then drew a Hobbit on the cardboard insert for support in the envelope and finally drew a Hobbit on the shipping envelope. Photographs of his drawings are displayed below. Read the rest of this entry »
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don Stephenson is a carving friend who has a great art for drawing as well as carving. Often whenever I need a drawing of an idea, Don is eager to draw but not just one but several carving ideas. In fact he comes up with so many ideas drawn that I have nicknamed him the IDEA MONSTER. Recently he surprised me with a gift of a caricature likeness of the WOOD BEE CARVER dressed as I appear at woodcarving shows with a black derby hat, a Col. Sanders’ bow tie and bib overalls. The drawing included a carving of a troll that he had drawn for me some time back. It was not enough for him to give me a drawing on paper he also gave me a canvas tool tote bag with a painted version of the original drawing. Thanks Don for your gift of friendship, your drawings and especially for being the IDEA MONSTER.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don also drew this logo icon that was also included on the canvas tool tote bag along with the WOOD BEE CARVERS motto: “Would be carvers would be carvers it they would carve wood,” and another saying: “I can if I try for I am to be all I can be.”
HELVIE KNIVES of Tipton, Indiana has invited members of the Caricature Carvers of America to carve a caricature into a specially designed basswood handle of a Helvie Knife as a display collection. Several CCA members have already carved a handle to highlight the great variety of caricature theme that can be carved. The photograph at the left shows a few of them together while additional photographs that follow will show two views of each individual knife already in the Helvie Knives display collection.
Helvie Knives have become very popular with many carvers with multicolored handles as well a cherry handles with a variety of handle shapes from which to choose. Some of the CCA members also have autographed their signature collection of knives. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by: woodbeecarver in General
The first annual BUCKEYE WOODCARVERS ROUNDUP will be held July 27 through July 30 at Poor Farmers Campground near Piqua, Ohio. During these four days of informal classes carving students can experience a wide array of carving instructors to try their hand at different carving subjects and themes. There will be over twenty experienced instructors, tool and wood vendors on site as well as non-carving classes.
A ROUNDUP is a relaxed and informal way to participate in daily mini workshops and classes to experience various styles and types of carving. Participants can join any of the workshops for an hour or two , for the whole day or come back for a second day. Workshops are on a first come basis with the only cost being for the carving project and a donation if desired for the instructor as all instructors are doing this on a volunteer basis. A twenty dollar participation fee is good for all four days to participate in as many workshops as one chooses. Workshops will include chip carving, bark carving, small figures, caricatures, ornaments, chainsaw carving, Santa carvings, jewelry and a variety of subjects. Read the rest of this entry »
Ten students survived another whittle-carving class on February 19, 2011 at the Woodcraft Store in Centerville, Ohio. Pictured in the photograph are (left to right) Curt McCarthy, Dale Smith, Allen Armstrong, Tyson Dean, Ronnie Stewart, Trish Walton, Mike Closson, Andy Zinsmeister, Rita Carey and Teresa Balsbaugh.
Each student learned the basics for carving faces using only a knife by carving either a Shelf Squatter or a wooden basswood hen egg into a face. Instruction was giving as to the Rule of Three of facial proportions and the A,B, C’s that can be seen in a face. Warm up exercises included carving a study face using a triangle block of wood to carve the nose , smile line and mouth mound. Another exercise used the Three Version Face Stick to carve a ball on a square stick, lay out the angles and plane on a face on a ninety degree corner as well as narrowing of face to learn that the face is two thirds wide and three thirds long. These exercises can be found under Cool Links under the titles of Face Eye Study, Face Eye Study 2 and Three Version Face Stick which are visible and printable instructional aids. Students learned the benefit of utilizing the slicing cut as often as possible along with the versatility of making notch cuts and the three cut triangle chip cuts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The photograph to the left shows examples of faces carved using only a knife. The egg shaped faces were carved using a basswood hen egg and can become a bottle stopper, a bobble head or simply sit upon a shelf. The three Shelf Squatters in the center shelf are carved out of an inch and half square by three inch long basswood block with part of the back cut out to allow the carving to sit on a shelf with part of the front of the carving hanging over the shelf. The Cowpoke Busts are three inch tall by and inch and half square block of basswood. Each of these carvings are examples of faces that can be carved of various subjects and facial expressions. The photograph on the right contains more examples of faces that can be carved showing various facial features and expression for study. Studying and carving faces helps any carver become more proficient at carving faces because the “more one carves the better one carver,” to fulfill the Wood Bee Carver’s motto: “Would Be Carvers Would Be Carvers if They Would Carve Wood.”
WHITE EAGLE STUDIOS is a center of creativity in the heart and mind of Michael Keller of Chelan, Washington. He carves in a most unique style of carving art. Michael is also an artist with words as he describes the passion of his art through his web log and the gallery in his web site is like a tour through an art museum. We became friends by way of the Internet in that upon reading several of his woodcarving essays on a Lake Chelan web news site I made it a point to make contact with him. He became the first entry in this site’s Amazing Discoveries on the Internet and is the author who coined the word “carveful” and “carvefully.” He and I share a common bond as woodcarvers that is uncanny in that even though we have never met personally it seems like we have been friends forever. He is an inspiration to me as well as to the group of carvers who gather at his studio periodically and those who are regular visitors to his web log.
Recently he honored me by posting on his web log an interview we did over the telephone and through memory of numerous emails over the last few years. Upon visiting his site listed below one will discover Michael’s unique gift of creating art with words. White Eagle Studios-Don Mertz
Eagles are one of Michael’s favorite carving subjects along with Northwest Indian art motifs. The Eagle in the photo above was carved out of Brazilian Walnut as a commission piece. The photographs that follow are examples of his carving gift.
Read the rest of this entry »
MAGNETIC FACES are carved out of a half inch thick by one and half inch by two inch block of basswood as an exercise in face carving. Every carving project should be seen as a learning experience or a practice piece in which the carver learns to stretch one’s imagination and carving ability. These particular faces have a magnet epoxied into the back and will serve as examples of face carving for instructional purposes. Such faces could also receive jewelry pin backs so they could be worn on clothing. For this particular exercise they are simply examples of faces carved with a knife in sculpture relief or half round carving. Each one is an attempt to carve a different feature, a certain look and a trial run of carving a different face each time. Read the rest of this entry »
Hobbit characters have been popular ever since they first appeared in the writing of Tolkien and subsequent movies. A friend commissioned a carving of a Hobbit which was a new subject for this carver. So the research process that follows the initial idea for a carver began by first going to the Internet research box like Google, Yahoo and Bing. When doing such research always add the word “images” following the subject being researched in order to go to a site dedicated to innumerable images. Next step was to contact my IDEA MONSTER, Don Stephenson who knows about a lot of subjects that he can draw on a sketch pad. He drew up several examples of Hobbits on paper, then drew a Hobbit on the note he included with the drawings, then drew a Hobbit on the cardboard insert for support in the envelope and finally drew a Hobbit on the shipping envelope. Photographs of his drawings are displayed below. Read the rest of this entry »
