Wood Spirit

This wood spirit is carved from cottonwood bark found along the Missouri River. Finished with three light coats of Deft Satin. He measures 17 3/4" long and 2 1/2" - 3 1/2" wide.

El Jefe

El Jefe is carved from half of a catalpa log. He measures 14 1/2" long, 6 1/2" wide and 3 1/2" thick. Sealed with Deft Satin lacquer.

Ten Bears

Let me introduce you to Ten Bears. I knew his name would come to me, sooner or later. Carved from basswood, he stands 10" tall including the cherry base. I think he turned out pretty good.

Carving completed, I use a Sand-O-Flex to soften the carving before applying the finish.

I apply boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits mixed 50/50. Later I will apply several light coats of Deft Satin Lacquer and follow with Howard's Feed-N-Wax.

First Carving of 2014 Update

Progress on my latest carving, still haven't named him. Still have more detail to add, but he's lookin' better.

I detailed the braid wraps, adding subtle texture for the fur. Also carved the leather necklace.

 
I have carved the hair using gouges, again trying to keep it subtle, no v-tools. I also rounded the base.

First Carving of 2014

Winter is here, it was -10 degrees Fahrenheit this morning and only reached 4 degrees above for a high. Brrrrrr! A good day to stay in and carve. I started this realistic bust on Jan. 2, I took pics along the way to show progression of the carving. Hope you enjoy!

I start by band sawing the blank from a basswood block, and begin rounding off corners.

     

Next I carve the basic face structure and lay out the hair line. I remove wood from the back of the carving.

After drawing in the upper eyelid, I carve it with a small u-gouge. 

Then the same with the lower eyelid. Being careful not to make the eyes too large, a common problem with carvings.

Round the eyeball with detail knife and take a small wedge out of both corners of each eye. Carve in a bag under each eye. More detail to come later.

Rough in the dental mound and carve the mouth.

I have started to rough in the fur wrapped braids and separate the carving from the base.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our house to yours!

Club Christmas Party

Kansas City Woodcarver's Club held our annual Christmas dinner this week. We also have a gift exchange, and I received this great cottonwood bark house from fellow carver Harvie Farnam.

 

Last Christmas Carving for this Year

Just finished this Santa, carved from basswood and mounted on a cherry base. He stands 8" tall including the base. This is my final Christmas carving for this year. I carved two Santas, twenty-three ornaments and the nativity. Now it's time to move on to something new.

Santa 2013

Here is my first Santa for the 2013 season. Tried something different on this one, a thin wash on the fur and painted eyes. Then, several light coats of Deft lacquer and a coat of Howard's Feed 'N' Wax. I think I like the natural wood. He is carved from basswood and standing on a cherry base. Overall height 11 1/2". Comments welcome.

Away in a Manger.......

I started this project in September, I've worked on and off for the last three months and it's finally completed. I'm pretty happy with the results, but more important the wife is happy! Thanks for following along.

3:10 to Yuma

Jeremiah was purchased and left today for his new home in Yuma, Arizona. Which is ironic, considering I purchased the bark to create Jeremiah from a supplier in Cottonwood, Arizona. Kind of like he's going home.

Shepard #2

I've been busy carving Christmas ornaments and working on a Santa. But, back to the Nativity, here is the second Shepard. Like the others, carved from butternut. Next, baby Jesus. I just might finish this before Christmas.

Shepherd

Been a while since I've posted, been busy with yard work and clearing the garden and getting it ready for winter. Finally got back to working on the Nativity. Here is the first of two shepherds. Carved from butternut and finished with Deft Satin, he stand 5 1/2" tall.