Mar

Whittle Doodle IV & VII & MORE

Posted by: woodbeecarver in

WHITTLE DOODLE IV is one of several Whittle Doodles that have been carved as an exercise in free hand carving using only a knife on a piece of wood.

Doodling with a knife to carve a variety of faces in high and low relief, free hand chip carving, decorative notches and incised line carving is to demonstrate the variety of carving that can be done with a knife.

The Whittle Doodle in the photos measures one inch and three quarters square by two and three eighths inches tall and is carved out of bass wood.

Jack Williams, a member of the Caricature Carvers of America, is the photographer who publishes in Chip Chats and in several books he has co-authored. He and his wife Carole have contributed so much to the world of wood carving and are good friends to many in the wood carving world.

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WHITTLE DOODLE VII – The Latest Carving. Whittle Doodles are carved to be entered in the “Whittling Class” in woodcarving show competitions and as donations for silent auctions at woodcarving shows. Each one is unique and yet similar to the earlier Whittle Doodles because they are done in the spirit of “doodling” with the free hand inspiration of letting the carver’s imagination carve freely. There is no set pattern or plan, rather it begins with one carving in one area of the block and then moves to another area of the block to do another carving and on and on until the block is filled in with various carving ideas. The photos that follow represent the latest interpretation of a “Whittle Doodle” carved out of a six inch tall by two inch square block of basswood. The completed Whittle-Carving received one coat of Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Perserver (Beeswax and Orange Oil) applied with a stiff artist flat brush. The wax puts a “little dance” to make the whittle cuts perform.

The next series of photos are close ups of certain sections of this Whittle Doodle to get a better view of the detail of the various carving motifs. Notice the various faces and then notice the chip carving and free-hand decorative cuts around the faces to get an idea of what can be carved with a knife in a block of wood while doodling. (These photos by Don Mertz)

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WHITTLE DOODLE VII as photogrpahed by Jack Williams who along with his wife Carole have captured the best of what woodcarving friendship is all about. These photographs were taken at the Dayton Carvers Guild’s Artistry in Wood Show November 8 and 9 2008.

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WHITTLE DOODLE VIII and IX were commissions from loving wives to be given to their husbands who happen to be good carving friends as well. Each one was designed and personalized to reflect the interest and personality of the recipients. Mike likes pirates so pirates are depicted in one Whittle Doodle. Mark received his Whittle Doodle on his fiftieth birthday, thus the number “50” as well as themes that apply to him.

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This Whittle Doodle was carved for the silent auction at the 2008 Miami Valley Wood Carving Show in Middletown, Ohio. It is approximately one inch thick, two and half inches wide and three and half inches tall. It was carved during the show on Saturday and Sunday as a demonstration project.