Death Song

This carving started from one of the worst pieces of basswood I have ever carved. A fellow carver had given up on it because it was so hard. So I traded a couple smaller pieces of basswood for it, thinking I could mount it on my carver's arm and use mallet tools. This chunk of wood would rip and tear out regardless of direction of the cut or tool used. I continually stroped my tools to keep a sharp edge, but almost gave up on this piece myself. Once the carving was completed I turned to applying the finish. I used a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits to add a little color. This usually works well and covers evenly. Not this piece, it was blotchy at best. I applied more coats than usual and eventually it evened out, but darker than I wanted. I applied several coats of lacquer and a matte finish to knock down some of the shine. All in all I like how he turned out, and just in time for the Kansas City show. Mounted on a walnut base, he measures 10" tall.