Carving "Thunderbolt" - carving the horse

I found some images for mechanical horses and blowing one up to full 8×10 size appears to be proportioned correctly for my carving. I am using Lynn Doughty’s carving technique for horses. Basically the horse is made of several separate pieces of wood so that the grain can be properly oriented to strengthen delicate areas. And it also makes certain areas easier to carve! The grain in this piece is running from front to back because the legs are extended rather than being in a standing posistion. The body is actually two separate pieces with dowels joing the planed surface of the boards. This allows you to cut the profiles with legs in different positions. And it makes it much easier to carve the insides of the legs and hooves when you are carving them as separate sides. The legs and particularly the hooves are very delicate, because the grain is quite short in that area. I will complete carving the legs before gluing the two pieces together to finish carving the body and saddle. The body and the head will be separate pieces with the grain running vertically, but the techniques used for painting and finishing will hide any joint lines, plus basswood doesn’t have very distinctive grain patterns anyway. More to come!

Carving "Thunderbolt"

I have had an interest in automata (A self-operating machine or mechanism) since making a limberjack machine a few years ago. I have wanted to create a machine that incorporated caricatures that I carved and that would be fun to look at, an animated toy of sorts. A well-known carver I admire, Lynn Doughty, suggests that you should strive to make your work stand out, to attract attention, and draw people in. So, I felt a carving that moved would be something different, something that makes you want to look closer. Adina Huckins’ jointed dolls also influenced this carving as did Wanda Sowry and her wonderful creations! So the idea that keeps rising up is a little boy dressed up as a cowboy, riding one of the old mechanical horses that used to be found in front of stores for the kids to ride. A crank would be turned to give the little boy his ride on old “Thunderbolt”. So I figured I’d blog the process a little bit.





I completed the head several months ago and have spent the time trying to figure out how to do the joints.

I have decided (at least at this date) to use dowel and pin joints. The little groove on the ends allows 360 degree rotation when held in place with a simple pin. I’ll probably restrict the movement to less than that, but this design allows me to get the arm and head placement exactly at the angle that looks best. The waist and legs are simple joints that will allow movement back and forth, as the horse moves.

Here is the progress on the cowboy so far. I am starting the process of carving the horse, so I can get him seated properly in the saddle. I’ll post some pictures of that process next time.


Thanks for looking!

"A Snowman's Best Friend"

Merry Christmas to all! Here is another little snowman carving I finally finished. I had the idea to do one with a "snow-dog" but never found time to complete it. These little guys are pretty popular with customers .....and daughters! This one was claimed before the glue dried.

"Marine Cane"

This was a last minute order for a Christmas present that I finally completed after the third attempt. I need to try and remember that I don't have a lot of success carving detailed work into end grain! The carving looked great until I applied a finish and then it looked awful. I tried some things to fix it and again it looked great until I applied a finish. It was just too dark. So I decided to do a little scrimshaw work on some palm ivory (tagua nut), which seemed appropriate for a Marine. I've had several people suggest that I try adding contrasting spacers to my canes, so this is somewhat of an attempt to try that! I like the way it turned out, finally! The handle is walnut and the shaft is Bradford pear with the bark on. Thanks for looking and comments and advice or critiques are always appreciated!

 

"Old and Improved!"

 I like to revisit "old" carvings that I have previously finished or ideas that I have did before and see if I have improved. Sometimes I will even recarve portions of work that I never really completed. I often wonder if I subconciously don't finish some things because I am not happy with a certain area and it will just have to wait until I can be happy with it? I enjoy the process of carving, of creating, of making something out of nothing, out of such simple materials. And I enjoy being able to improve my work, in training my hands to create what my mind imagines. And in training my mind to imagine, to challenge my skills, to go in directions that are new for me. This month will end the second year that I have been carving and I like to compare what I can do now to what I did when I started. My first carving was a wood spirit from a piece of white oak out of my stack of firewood ....if nothing else, I have learned to choose easier wood to carve by hand! This is is a similar piece out of cottonwood bark. I think this one has more of a realistic look, not so sad or stern

, more of a Santa than a wood spirit.

 

I am finishing a cane for a retired marine and then I plan to revisit one of my "twisted" Santa ornaments as a Christmas gift for someone special. This is a busy time of year for Santa carvers! Thanks for looking.