The Eastern Woodland Carving Club hosted a carving class in Converse, Indiana on April 23, 24 and 25. Fifteen students learned the basics for carving only with a knife in the Whittle-Carving style. With good humor, delicious lunch meals and eager enthusiasm each student enjoyed all the various exercises and lessons of learning to slice with the cutting edge and open up a block of wood with notch cuts and three cut triangle chips. Read the rest of this entry »
28
Apr
BITS AND PIECES
BITS AND PIECES describes recent carvings. The first is a relief carving in a small format that was done as a demonstration of relief carving for a beginners carving class that was considering various kinds of carving projects. The demonstration lesson was both for laying out a design, setting it in, carving in detail and applying a finish. Basswood measuring a half inch thick by five inches and three and a half inches was used for this relief carving project. The finish was raw sienna artist oil paint and boiled linseed oil. Like every carving project it was a learning piece. Read the rest of this entry »
20
Apr
RALPH E. LONG KNIVES
Ralph E. Long of Kernersville, North Carolina has been making quality carving knives for over sixteen years. The reputation of his carving knives has led to a high demand among carvers so much so that on occasion his stock of knives in certain patterns have been exhausted. Ralph and his wife Dot are delightful and gracious people who are very accommodating be it by phone or at woodcarving shows where they set up there display. Read the rest of this entry »
MASTER SERGEANT is a commission carving that was presented as a gift by a loving wife and son to Air Force Master Sergeant Dan J. Williams as a retirement gift. Even though the carving is of a Civil War Union Soldier, yet some artist license was taken to include personal symbols to have significance to the recipient. Read the rest of this entry »
These three photographs of two views of a Civil War Soldier bust and a Sea Captain bust show the beginning of busts carved to their basic form. They are ready to receive detail carving to bring life to their face and outfits. Read the rest of this entry »
31
Mar
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
The MAGNIFICENT SEVEN represent the first of a beginning series of Whittle Poke Busts. Each is carved only with a knife using a one and half inch square by three inch tall block of basswood. A natural finish of artist oil Raw Sienna paint mixed with boiled linseed oil brings each carving to life with a soft glow that shows off the texture of the carving cuts. Texture is color easily seen through a natural finish. Read the rest of this entry »
22
Mar
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT
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(For information only as this is past history)
A WHITTLE POKE BUST class will be taught by Don Mertz at the Woodcraft Store on Saturday, May 15, 2010. The class runs from 9:00 A.M. til 4:00 P.M. at the Woodcraft Store, Cross Point Center, 175 E. Alex-Bell Road, Dayton, 45459 (937-438-1282) The cost is $75 and more information and registration can be made by calling 937-438-1282 at the Woodcraft Store.
WHITTLE POKE BUSTS are carved using only a knife out of a one and half inch square by three inch tall block of basswood. The photographs above are examples of subjects that can be carved in this one day class.
Don Mertz will also be teaching at the WAG School of Woodcarving http://wagcarvingschool.com/default.aspx April 30 and May 1 and 2, 2010
20
Mar
FUN SPIRAL DESIGN
WHAT IS IT? These wooden spirals were created during the carving process. They were created as a trail of chips from a V tool carving a groove across the grain of a basswood block. Much like the action of a curling shavings produced while planing with a carpenter’s plane, these spirals have created their own unique artistic design.