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Showing posts from 2011

Carving of Artifacts from the Middle Archaic Period in Louisiana

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One of my students, Ricky Smith , made this woodcarving.  It was commissioned for Dr. Joe Saunders on the occasion of his retirement from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Dr. Saunders is noted for his extensive research into the Middle Archaic period   in Louisiana. Ricky carefully researched the period to create his design. The projectile point and a fired earthen block and sphere represent some of the few verified artifacts of the Middle Archaic. Earthen mounds were built by the people of that time and place as well. The resulting carving is a well executed design that I think will intrigue those not familiar with this period in Louisiana and will hold special significance for those that are.

Whittling Class for Kids

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Yesterday, I had the opportunity to teach a whittling class for a group of eight boys in the eight to twelve age range. When I was looking for ideas for projects they could work on, this whittling lesson post showed up in my news feed. I did a little research and found out that this little project goes by a number of names including  gee-haw and whammy diddle. In the class we went over safety, knife sharpening, wood grain and knife handling techniques. All of the boys were attentive and well behaved. They all did a good job whittling and left with a working gee-haw. Big thanks to Tom H for the idea.

Claddagh Box

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Doug Oliver sent these photos of a box that he recently completed. The exterior has a well done art deco design. On the bottom of the inside, he carved a relief of a  Claddagh design. Don't you think it makes a nice surprise when you open the box?

Whittling in the Woods

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I took this photo as I was carving a wood spirit with my  Carvin' Jack  while sitting in the beautiful woods of East Texas. I was enjoying perfect weather and a wonderfully scenic setting. Does it get any better than this?

Demystifying Wood Grain by Brandant Robinson

Brandant Robinson of the The Old Stump blog posted a primer on demystifying wood grain . It provides a good overview of a subject that I know a number of carvers struggle with. Have a look and let me know what you think and be sure to thank Brandant  for his efforts.

Baylor Armstrong Browning Library

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Doug Oliver sent along the following photos he took on a visit to the  Armstrong Browning Library on the Baylor University  campus. I think fine art in a place of learning can inspire the student. Thanks, Doug.

2011 North Texas Wood Carvers Guild Rhapsody in Wood Show

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2011 Rhapsody in Wood Show & Sell put on by the  North Texas Wood Carvers Guild . I saw some great carvings, turnings, wood burnings and scroll saw work. The best part, however, was visiting with some very fine individuals. If you attended the show, let me know what you thought. If not, and you happen to be in the North Texas area on the first weekend of March 2012, I'd love to see you at the next Rhapsody in Wood show.

The Blacksmith Progress Photos

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Ricky Smith is one of my talented woodcarving students. He is currently working on a carving of a blacksmith. He provided some photos of his progress and I thought I'd share them with you all. I think these pictures show a nice progression through the rough out stage into starting the detail work. I'm eager to see it continue to develop and hopefully we will have more pictures of the blacksmith to share in the future.

Google Art Project

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Some readers of this site may remember my post about ultra high resolution images of masterpieces from the Uffizi Gallery . Well, Google has taken this idea to the next level with their Google Art Project . The site lets you explore famous museums and zoom in on the details of many works. You can see close up the fantastic details in a painting like The Ambassadors . Following are a few videos that give you an idea of what you can see and do at Google Art Project . Have a look and let me know if you think this will be an aid to your art creation and appreciation.

Added St. Francis Carving to Website Gallery

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I added a picture of a carving of St. Francis of Assisi to my website gallery. I made this piece some time ago and the photograph is not the best, but I do like the carving and wanted to add it to the gallery. Anyway, have a look and let me know your thoughts. Thanks!