“A Long Knife Pirate,” was the title of a posting on this web log on June 18, 2009.  That pirate has now been painted using the Painting Softly method.  This pirate was Whittle-Carved using only the knife that appears in the photographs as an illustration of how versatile the scimitar blade shape is for carving in nooks and crannies where another blade shape would not be as efficient. Read the rest of this entry »

Eleven students participated in a two day class in Whittle-Carving on July 11 and 12, 2009 at Gorman Farm, an educational-learning farm in Cincinnati, Ohio.  All the students had big smiles on their faces indicating that they enjoyed a fun time together learning to carve three inch tall Whittle Folk Monks using only a knife to carve these small figures.

Participants are left to right in the front row: Don Potter, Pat Scott, Jim Cable, Ed Stover, and back row left to right: Tom Denton, Rick Eskins, Mickey Huston, Barry Pennington, Ferd Kruetzkamp, Dick Middleton and Rob Witzke. Read the rest of this entry »

Adair Rucker and his wife Patty of Lockhart, Texas teach carving, wood burning, scrimshaw and Sculpey clay modeling of carving subjects.  They taught a class in sculpturing with Sculpey clay at the recent International Woodcarving Congress in Bettendorf, Iowa.

I have known the Ruckers since 1995 when we were together in the War Eagle Seminars.  It was there that I first noticed the practical and unique “Lap Box Apron” being used by several carvers from the Texas and Arkansas area.  Such a neat idea and easy to construct using a shallow wooden box and a shop apron tacked to the inside of the box.  Studying the photograph gives a self explained procedure on how to make one’s own “Lap Box Apron” to take to wood carving meetings, carving classes or doing some relaxed carving under the shade tree.

Visit the Rucker’s website at http://www.christmascarvingsetc.com/ and if you ever have a chance to take one of their classes, it would be well worth the investment.  Adair and Patty are fun people to be around and they are very knowledgeable in what they teach.

Fred Cogelow receives Best of Show honors for his carving of a young lad sitting on a log while reading a book.  Fred was also one of the instructors during Congress week of seminars. Read the rest of this entry »

Bruce Futterer of Russelville, Arkansas is a carver who expands his carving horizon by carving various subjects and themes.  Bruce entered twenty four carvings in competition at the recent International Woodcarvers Congress competition of the Affiliated Wood Carvers in Bettendorf, Iowa.  His carvings have been admired in the various wood carving shows that he is a participant and he is always a ribbon winner.  In the following photo essay some of his entries at Congress may be viewed and appreciated for the uniqueness of ideas, skill in carving execution and the wide variety of subjects. Read the rest of this entry »

Denny Neubauer, the founder and maker of “Denny Knives and Tools” is first and foremost a carver.  He made his now famous and favorite carving tools first for himself and then founded a manufacturing company to serve the carving community with his speciality tools.  In the photograph Denny is teaching at the recent AWC International Woodcarvers Congress a class on carving on Denny Knife handles. Read the rest of this entry »

The WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver who started as a boy growing up on a farm three miles south of Poneto, Indiana whittling with a pocket knife in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.  In the early 1970’s David Monhollen showed me the fundamentals of carving and ever since I have pursued wood carving as a growing experience of learning by doing.  Even though other carving tools are used in some carving projects, yet my first love is carving only with a knife.  Thus I have developed a style I call “Whittle-Carving” which is simply carving only with a knife. Read the rest of this entry »