Sunday's Are Different Now

When I started this blog, back in October of 2010, I had made a decision to do more carving. It seemed a good idea to work at it on a more regular basis, so I decided to sit an carve a minimum of once a week, every week. I chose Sunday and hence the name of the blog. But since then, I have carved much more than once a week and now it's a rare day that I don't carve or paint a carving. The results have been quite remarkable. I have become a much better carver! That was the goal, but I never expected so much improvement in such a short time. I don't mean this as a boast, but as encouragement to those who, like me, love the art and craft of wood carving and want to be able to carve more and more challenging projects.

So how have my Sunday's changed? Now, they are days for me to set aside "production" and experiment, develop new ideas and video some of my work. I've learned a lot this year and continue to do so. I hope that never ends.

Rip Jig for Band Saw

This jig is useful for ripping blocks safely on the diagonal. This one is a big improvement on my old prototype.

Gothic Ornament part 2

This video shows the actual carving of the ornament. I forgot to mention the wood is basswood.

Gothic Ornament part 1

Here's another little project I'm calling a Gothic Ornament, for want of a more appropriate name. I figure the arches give it the "gothic" look. It looks simple, but it's really about working grain and knife skill to get crisp ridges and intersections. It's actually a little tricky to pull off with softer wood like basswood. Accurate layout for the template is key. enjoy!

Olde World Santa - 2nd Part

Here's the last part of this two-part video.

Olde World Santas - my version

I decided to give the "Olde World Santa" (from WCI-Holiday 2007 Issue 41) a try. I like the boldness of this character. The lacy, through-cut beard is a fun challenge and the seriously wrinkled face and hat gives him a wonderful quality not typical of the traditional Santa with his round, rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes. He could easily be a wizard or a mountain man with a few alterations. The eyes were a challenge, at least for me and I feel I will have to carve a pile of these before I master them.

I'll be honest, I dd not really try or even want to follow Mark Gargac's process to the letter and once I got started, I just kept referring to the photos of his finished work. That let me find my own way by exploring different tools and techniques. My video here is part 1 of 2 and only shows certain details of techniques I explored, but does not chronicle my efforts start to finish. My feeling is that this is Mr. Gargac's process and design so I didn't feel I should present it as my own. But I hope you'll get something from watching my videos that may be useful for this and other face carvings.