Moose carving - getting closer to completion

 The figure is defined.

I am now in the process of putting the hair texture on this bugger.

I stopped and took pictures halfway through so you could see the carving in process.

You will notice the rear leg looks flat on the back from the moose butt to the hoof.  I won't be putting hair texture there as that will be the spot for my signature.  I'm not sure if I will use permanent marker, or test the wood burning kit I just bought on the signature.

Thanks for stopping by.

Moose Carving Update - slapped some "chiclets" on his mug...

Made some chips fly again last night and this is what I ended up with.  I carved some 'chicklets' (teeth) into his mug and started to define those eyeballs.  Stay tuned and thanks for stopping in!

What's on the Carving Bench January 2010

This funny lookin' dude is going to be a moose caricature.  Actually - it'll be 10 moose caricatures.

I am in a carving exchange on www.woodcarvingillustrated.com with 9 other folks.  We all carve 10 of somethin - send 9 of 'em out to the other participants, and they send you one in return.

It's due in March.  This one is the prototype, so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks for stopping in.

A Gift for Laurie

My sister, Laurie, was kinda bummed when her husband traded away a hand carved ornament of mine that he had won at the Rivet Christmas Chinese Auction 2009.

Anyone who does not know what a Chinese Auction is, folks bring either gag, or inexpensive but wanted gifts to the get together, draw numbers and start grabbing gifts and opening them. The rules are basically that the folks who come up in order based on the number they drew, have the choice of opening a new unmarked present, or 'stealing' a gift from one already opened. Nothing can be stolen more than twice, and so on.

Anyhew. I decided to carve another ornament basically the same as the one her husband lost. She is very happy and so am I.

A gift for cousin Joni

My first cousin, Joni (Walter) Hoyer ran across my carvings on Facebook and made my day with her comments.  She flattered me by asking me if I considered selling some of my work (I haven't - I've just started carving - the bleeding still hasn't stopped....).

I told her that I carve for kinfolk for free and asked her what she'd like.

Well she chose the style of Santa that I carved for my wife.

I was working on another Santa design, so I decided to give her one of those as well.

Basswood carvings treated with Boiled Linseed Oil and Mineral Spirits, painted in acrylic, antiqued with wood stain, then coated in satin polyeurethane.

Joni, Joel and the Hoyer crew, hope you like the ornaments!

A heartfelt Christmas gift for Mom

My mom is very devoted to the Lutheran religion that she raised us all with.

For the past many years, she has been gathering a "Fontanini" Nativity set that started with the Holy Family and has since bloomed into an impressive, probably 100 piece set.  The Fontanini is a 4" high figurine set crafted of a plastic/rubber composite that is hand crafted in Italy and is her pride and joy.

I know how important a Nativity set is to my Mom, so I decided to carve her the Holy Family out of Basswood 7" high and then add to it as the years go on.

I finished to carvings based on Shawn Cipa's design, coated it with mineral spirits / boiled linseed oil mix and brought it to her to give her the option of the "natural" look or "acrylic painted".

She chose the 'natural' look.  Here it is and thanks for looking in:

Santa's are taking over!

As Christmas approached, the Santa Ornament carving bug took over.

My wife asked for a few different ornaments and of course she took precedence, but then I decided to use some carvings as Christmas gifts for others.

The first (2) ornaments are gifts for the wife, the 3rd, a gift for my mother in law, the last a gift for the Rivet Family Christmas exchange.

Thanks for stopping in.