The Face Study photos above represents one of the instructional exercises that the Wood Bee Carver used in classes before retiring from teaching. The first two photos are of detailed faces completed after retiring and the third photo is of study faces in the various stages of development.  The photo below shows the Progressive Steps for carving a Face Study.

One of the exercises used in teaching the Rule of Three of Facial Proportions and how to open up a block of wood with the primary landmarks of a face uses the progressive steps face study depicted in the photo above.  Each step is demonstrated by the instructor while the students carve each demonstrated step.  The demonstrations cover the basic steps of 1 through 5 in the photo above with additional demonstrations by instructor of a variety of the mouth with or without teeth.  The finished detailing as depicted in step 6 is done by each student at a later time.  The instructor’s demo face studies accumulate following each class which are finished with detailed carving at a later time to complete each face.

Previous blog entries on these Study Faces may be viewed by clicking on each of the three links below.

STUDY FACES I  ~  STUDY FACES II  ~  STUDY FACES III

The “Destination” of the journey of carving a mountain man is the finished carving that is displayed in this beginning photographic gallery.  After this first photo display the “Journey” portion of the mountain man project will be explained in written explanations and photos of the progressive carving steps towards to finished mountain man.

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As the old saying goes, “Nothing ventured is nothing gained,” therein is the motivation within undertaking a “venture” which becomes an “adventure.” Venture is defined as “an undertaking involving chance, risk or danger.” Or, “a venture is a project or activity which is new, exciting, and difficult because it involves the risk of failure.” Add to this meaning of “venture” is an expansion of it meaning to become ADVENTURE which is defined as “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.  Adventure is a journey of life as in learning, imagination, new experiences, experimentation, inventing, and hobby that expands the mind and skills with opportunities to grow and learn.

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“Ancestry Gothic” is a recent commission carving project of an interpretative likeness of the maternal grandparents of a high school friend (class of ‘59) using only a couple photographs as a guide along with verbal memories of long, long ago.

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Troy Bordeaux is a carving friend whose passion for carving guides him to create a unique style with clean, crisp and sharp detail of creative art.  The photographic gallery will showcase some of his carving in an ever-growing variety of creative expressions.  The opening photo above is a collection of some of his carvings covering the last five years with his most recent in front of older carvings.

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The two Indian carvings are artistic interpretation of a warrior holding a spear and shield bearing the name “War Eagle” The other carving is an Indian presenting a peace pipe bearing the name “Lonesome Dove.”

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Whittle Doodles are an exercise of imaginative free hand carving in a block of wood using only knives to carve a variety of whimsical subjects in the round, shallow and deep relief, chip carving and incised carving in a Whittle-Carving style.  The blocks of wood used can be a variety of sizes from an inch square up to a four-inch square by fifteen inches tall.  In this latest version called “Whittle Doodle Extreme” the basswood block measures eleven inches tall by just shy of four inches square. The term “extreme” describes both the size and the variety of carved subjects and styles of carving using only knives to do the carving.

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