"Hitty-ous Doll?"

My daughter thought that was funny when she came up with it! So I will not post a picture of my second doll, since it is not quite as attractive as the first! I have been researching these dolls and have compiled a collections of dolls that I think are exceptional in appearance and will use those as further ideals to strive for. I was told that it is difficult to recall all the lessons you learn, but that repetition will help. I believe I was told that if I carved about 200 faces/dolls that I would get really good at it. Only about 190 to go!

Smaller faces are easier to mess up than larger ones..... a fraction of an inch is not noticable on a carving several feet tall......very noticable on a face that is 1 inch tall. I plan to cut out multiple blanks for my next attempts, hoping that working on four at a time will produce at least one or two good ones. I'm considering carving multiples of the limbs also, so that I will be able to pick and choose and do final assemblies with the best of my attempts.

I have cut out some additional twisted crosses that I will work on in spare moments. People seem to like them but something interesting seems to occur quite often.... as much as people like them, they always seem to find someone that they want to give them to! It's seems to encourage people to share and give... sometimes in moving ways.

I am just relaxing a bit with some whittling with the box-cutter. After working feverishly on a major carving, I always enjoy just carving something for fun... for the peace it brings. I really enjoy sometimes just starting with a piece of wood and seeing where it takes me, without the restrictions of a design or an idea. This one was with a Lynn Doughty-style head blank, but it may turn into a David Sabol-influenced cane topper. Or it may be excellent kindling! We shall see.....