~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHITTLE FOLK EGGS  are caricatures carved into a basswood hen egg that shows the head, arms and trunk to right below the belt line.  The subject being displayed in this photo essay is a “motorcycle dude”  in that he has his hands on his handlebar mustache.  He has a braided pig tail on the back of his head underneath a bandanna head covering while his pants are held up by his suspenders.  All those little touches adds character to the caricature.  Each is carved using only a knife in the Whittle-Carving style of the WOOD BEE CARVER.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The photograph on the left shows how the basswood hen egg is first divided into three sections followed by a vertical center line drawn down the front and back as well as a vertical center line drawn from side to side.  The purpose of these three  divisions is to indicate the three main segments of the caricature.  The top third is where the head will be carved with the middle third being the area for the arms, chest and back while the bottom third is for the belt line and beginning of hip area.  The center lines are used to help in drawing in the various parts.  The right egg in the first photo shows the head area being thinned above the shoulders  as well as the eye sockets dished out.

 The second photograph shows front and back cartoon drawing   with a partially carved “dude” for comparison.

 The next  photograph shows progressive comparisons of the  back with partially carved “dude,” a cartoon drawing and a detail carved “dude.”   The final photograph shows  three “dudes” in various stages of being carved as a progressive comparison.

In the photo journey below there are “dudes” fully carved and “dudes” fully painted as a way of studying the details in bare wood carvings  and  in painted carvings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each Dude was painted with artist oil paints mixed with boiled linseed oil and then finished with a brushed on application of Deft, a brushing lacquer. 

 The final two photographs at the end of this posting are offered for study on progressive comparison to envision the steps from beginning to end.  One key in studying photographs of carvings is to pause long enough to visually travel all over the carving imagining how each part of  it was carved.  Such imaginative carving is one way to educate one’s creative sub conscious to partner in the actual carving process.  Seeing in the mind first will guide in the actual carving process.

 ” The hardest part of any project is getting started, but once begun, the creative juices flow and the carving proceeds,”  is one of the discoveries the WOOD BEE CARVER has made over the years.  One secret to carving is to relax, begin the carving process even if not always knowing where the journey will lead.  Surprises will come with better carvings the result all because the carver tried.  Not trying is to languish in the self pity of singing “If only I had started to carve when I was younger.”  Wake up and realize that you will never be this young again, so start NOW.   Start first by “imagination carving in the mind” followed by “practice carving with knife and wood”  (all carving is practice) which will start the journey of a life time in the time of your life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~