More Santas

Lots of carving and painting this time of year! I've given away and sold most of my things, so I've had to try and restock a bit. These three are already gone, but I've got a batch that I hope to finish painting tonight. I've got to admit that I've did a few fun carvings for my self, like the Moravian stars from the latest WCI, and a little ball in a cage, along with all the other holiday stuff. Tis the season! Thank's for looking and hope Santa brings you all joy and happiness! Merry Christmas!

Ozark Flossing!

Harold Enlow has inspired a lot of carvers with his humor and his carvings. I have several of his books and this design has always been a favorite of mine, so here is my version of it. I like the look of bliss on this old feller's face as he carefully flosses, just like his dentist advised! I smile whenever I see him. I decided not to paint this one as I wanted the carving to show through and it seemed to go with the rustic nature of the piece. Thanks for looking!

5 Minute Gnomes

I've been working on a lot of Santas for the holidays and  I wanted to have something I could carve on, as a demonstration or a small give-away for kids. I started looking at the 5 minute wizards, but decided to change it up a bit. These could be either gnomes or elves, but they're really just a wizard with feet and a little carving on the back for arms and clothes and such. I still haven't gotten as quick as 5 minutes, but I'm working on it! Thanks for looking!

"Whiskey River"

Here is a horse, from a Janet Cordell roughout. Janet doesn't have completed go-bys or photos; she kinda wants you to carve your own using what she teaches you about forms and anatomy. Which is good, since I was actually carving something else in her class and just listened to bits and pieces as she taught others to carve this horse! I loved the design and have managed to complete it after doing a little research. It stands about 10 inches tall and the title is from a Willie Nelson song. Thanks for looking!

Christmas is coming!

It won't be long till it's here! I guess I've been carving about four years now, and one of the first subjects that got me hooked was a Santa. I saw some carved by Millard Harrell and he had a little tutorial that I tried to follow. Mine had little resemblance to his, other than a curl in the beard! I had just bought a little v-tool and I really got carried away on the hair too......looked like a zen sand garden that had been freshly raked. But the slight success kept me going and I keep trying to get better. I really like how this ornament turned out....almost hate to paint him! I used to carve really somber Santas, but I think if someone smiles at you, it's hard not to smile back, so I'm trying for jollier Santas! Thanks for looking!

"Barefoot Girl"

Here is one I just completed. This is from a Janet Cordell roughout I started in a class she taught at our carving club.

Big Santa

I recently bought a chainsaw, in order to carve larger pieces, and this is my first project. I figured a Santa might be easier since I know what he's supposed to look like! This is a chunk of red cedar 5 inches thick by 19 inches tall and 9 inches wide. I started to leave it natural, but the look was just too dark when a finish was applied. So I burnt in the hair and beard and painted him up, still trying to let the grain and carving show through. I liked the speed of the chainsaw but I got sawdust all over the driveway and myself. Guess I need to start wearing a cap!

Father Frost

I got an email a few weeks ago from a lady in Indianapolis who had seen this small carving I did about a year ago. Except she wanted it in blue...she collects blue Santas or Father Frost. I was happy to oblige her! This is aversion of a Mike Shipley design..... a few extra doodads and other differences, and definitely wouldn't consider it to be very flat-plane! But it was fun and I believe she likes it. Thanks for looking!


 

Deer Hunter Cane

This is a cane made completely with materials from my father-in-law's farm in East Texas. Its is a tall cane with a deer antler handle. The butt-cap is Bois-darc (osage orange) and the shaft is cedar. I like to shape and paint the epoxy glue so that it looks like part of the antler. Thanks for looking!

A Boot for Ashley

A guy from the carving club has been coming over and getting some tips on carving in the round. He has mainly carved reliefs and wanted to pick up a few tips. So we started with a simple boot. I decided to fancy mine up a bit and make a toothpick holder after we finished that night. My daughter decided she might want it, but it needed to be painted and she wanted red (perhaps in honor of the Arkansas Razorbacks?). So here it is! Thanks for looking!

Bamboo Trekking Poles

Trekking poles have become standard equipment for many hikers, trekkers, backpackers and snowshoers. They are used in pairs,kinda like ski poles.


Trekking poles (and staffs) offer a number of practical advantages:

They provide better balance and footing.

On downhill hikes especially, they decrease the amount of stress on your legs and joints.

On uphill climbs, poles transfer some of your weight to your shoulders, arms and back, which can reduce leg fatigue and add thrust to your ascents.

They make crossing streams, loose rocks and slippery surfaces such as ice and snow patches easier and safer.

They help you establish a walking rhythm.

They can push back overhanging vegetation from the trail and probe soggy terrain for holes and boggy spots.

Trekking poles are most helpful to those with weak or damaged knees or ankles, particularly when going downhill, because the poles absorb some of the impact that your body would normally sustain. These are made from some bamboo that I thought looked pretty neat. It has some rounded, almost ball shaped sections that I thought were interesting. These are about 48" tall with cocobolo pieces to make arounded handle. I burned dragon designs on each with the symbols for fire and river. I injured an arm a month or so ago and have found it easier to walk using a taller stick. I haven't worked my courage up to use 2 at the same time! Thanks for looking!

Twistie Cane with Cherry handle

Here is a cane I just completed. The shaft is a small tree that has been twisted and shaped by honeysuckle vines as it grew and the handle is cherry. I removed the bark on this one because it was a little loose and flakey, and found these tortoise-shell like colors underneath. They seem to go well with the handle which is not real fancy....just carved a comfortable shape that will hang on your arm and put some little dimples on the ends, similar to a briar pipe. I finished it with several thinned coats of a poly mixture and sanded it between coats, finishing up with a buffed coat of wax. It's kinda wild looking, but the colors of the wood are pretty. Thanks for looking!

Birdsong relief carving completed

Thanks for looking! This is from an L.S. Irish pattern adapted to fit the organ pipe. I made a few minor changes and added the musical note, since the recipient's name is Birdsong and he is an organist. I believe the wood to be spruce.

Relief carving in progress

This is a relief carving I am working on. I've been wanting to get better at relief carving and this is a pattern from a book by LS Irish that I recieved for Christmas. I used tracing paper to take different elements from one of her patterns and make it fit in the area I had to work with. Still got a bit of burning to do.

Lizard Cane completed

Finally got it finished! Thanks for looking!

More photos in my gallery at the left.