Another Fly Fisherman

This is my 2nd fly fisherman caricature.  This piece was requested from a FB friend and talented briar pipe maker www.briarbirdpipes.com.

In a win/win situation, he asked me if I would consider trading the carving for a new pipe made by him.  I quickly agreed.

This guy is about 8" tall wader boots to cap.

Basswood and acrylic paint.

Thank you for looking in.

Dad's Walking Stick

For Father Day this year, I decided to carve a Walking Stick for Dad.  Unbeknownst to me,  he had talked with Mom and divulged to her that he thought of asking if I'd carve a walking stick for him.

This piece is aspen, carved, burned for accent, and includes vines, whitetail deer hoof prints, and turkey tracks.

Thanks, as always, for looking in. 

Chip Carved Wedding Plates

Good morning.

It has been a long time since I've updated this blog.  The time has not gone without continual carving activity.

The wedding plates below are for my nephew and neice for their respective big days.

The plate blanks were purchased from www.mychipcarving.com.  The design inspiration is from Wayne Barton and Marty Leenhouts.

The pieces are coated in a 50/50 mixture of Boiled Linseed Oil and Mineral Spirits and then finished with Satin Polyurethane.

Thanks, as always, for looking in.

Gift carved for Dad's 76th Birthday

My Dad turned 76 this past September and as is now getting to be tradition, I carve a gift for him.

One of my fondest memories of Dad is his love of the outdoors.  Dad is a fisherman, hunter, golfer and anything else he can do outside the confines of anything man made.

Dad taught myself and my 5 brothers how to hunt pheasants from the farm-fields of Mid Michigan.  Dad first met Mom as a young man asking permission from a man, who ended up to be his father-in-law,  permission to hunt pheasants with his buddies on the old man's property.

Dad's bird-dog of choice is Brittany Spaniels.  Now Dad has hunted over many brittany's in his day, my favorite was "Sal".  "Sal" was short for "Salvatore's something something" on his registered papers.  Could never remember Sal's full name.  Sale was unusual in that Dad primarily hunted and trained female brittanys.

Sal was a barrel chested stud of a male that was regal looking as hell, a darn good hunter, but also sweet as could be when he was not "on the hunt".

This carving is of an old man rewarding a young pup, with a pheasant in his mouth, with a pat on the head for a job well done.

I have many fond memories of hunting and hunting dogs and I wanted thank Dad for that with this carving.

The figures are carved out of Butternut and the base is of oak.  I applied Tung Oil and sealed with satin Deft polyeurethane finish.

Gettin' in the 'Spirit'

Cottonwood Bark Wood Spirit

"It goes by several names: Wood Spirit, Wild Man, Savage Man, Woodwose. Whatever you call it, the next time you are strolling through the woods, keep an eye out for one of these elusive creatures.
Most often glimpsed as a green man with leaves for his beard and hair, the Wood Spirit is said to be Lord of the Forest and Natural Things. Seeing one is said to be quite a lucky thing, and European villagers used to go out on regular hunts, hoping to find a Wood Spirit to foretell the future of their village.
They are extremely strong. Wood Spirits can tear an opponent limb from limb and can tame any wild animal, including ferocious dragons and skittish unicorns. At the same time, they are gentle with the maidens, children, and men of good heart.
It is said that the forest will stand for as long as the Wood Spirit remains to keep order. And if you're lucky enough to see one, health happiness, and good fortune will be yours. However, that does not happen often. Wood Spirits would rather see than be seen. Most sightings are by children or by the pure of heart.

When you take your Wood Spirit home, give it a place of honor. Include the Wood Spirit in the audience when you tell jokes (Wood Spirits have a delightful sense of humor). If you do these things, your Wood Spirit will bring his gentle wisdom, humor, and luck into your home. Enjoy! 

Author Unknown"

And so is the legend of the Wood Spirit.

I have carved this guy out of Cottonwood  Bark found laying under a massive and majestic Cottonwood tree that had fallen some years ago along a local riverbank.

Cottonwood bark is actually very soft and fun to carve.  Almost like butter in my opinion.  Once the outer bark shell is removed you are left with a orangish/red tight grained bark that is very forgiving to a carver.

I am enamored with the legend and looks of the Wood Spirit and have been dabbling in carving them for about six months now.  I love the wise, almost somber look of the Wood Spirit and the long flowing beard.

The leading picture is of my first 'real' Wood Spirit.  The pictures that follow are of my 2nd attempt.  The pictures are a little dark and I apologize, but I love how he tured out.

Thanks as always for stopping by!