TOM TROLL came about from my good friend Don Stephenson who gave me a  drawing of a troll.    Don is a creative artist who comes up with delightful drawings from his imaginative mind and artistic ability.  He has given me a lot of good idea drawings for carving projects that will surely come to life as a carving.  Trolls are imaginary creatures who are more lovable than scary although like humans some trolls stray from their nobler purposes.  Trolls may be ugly but ugly is beautiful if one takes the time to see the beauty. Trolls may be thick skulled but  slowness of mind understands the simple.  Often it is the simple who are the wisest and beauty is an inner quality.

TOM TROLL was carved in a four inch square by five and a half inches tall block of basswood using Stubai and Denny carving tools.  The next series of photographs show the beginning progress of carving TOM TROLL to the basic form along with the carving tools used in those stages.

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The next series of photographs show the completed carving of TOM TROLL.  Wood burning  highlights some of the details and the staining of a natural finish is raw sienna artist oil paint mixed with boiled linseed oil followed by a coat of Deft, a brushing lacquer.

The next series of photographs are of close ups of the head and face of TOM TROLL.

TOM TROLL is a lovable character once you get to know him for what he is as “beauty in ugliness,” which is much better than “ugliness in beauty.”