This is from a Mark Akers' roughout that I worked on my first day at the Renegade back in March. Mark really set the bar for the other instructors that followed over the next few days. He is a very good instructor and offered lots of tips for carving and painting. I picked this guy because he was different from what I usually carved and I admired the beard and the way Mark painted his plaid shirt. Mark said it was easy, but I believe I have probably spent more time on the painting than I did in carving! I did a lot of research and practice before painting the flannel shirt on this guy. And I searched a while for a suitable design on his cap..I wanted something that seemed to go well with his flannel shirt.
I've exchanged a few emails over the past month with an old Navy buddy, Phiil Marshall, and it got me to thinking about my military service. Or maybe it's just the approach of the July 4th holiday. "Liberty" was a Navy term for being able to leave the ship and go where you pleased. After being on a ship for several weeks, you really wanted some liberty. It's also what we were defending, what we fought for. "Liberty and justice for all". I hope that everyone, no matter where you live, can celebrate those things. Thanks for looking!
