TexasWoodcarving.com

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. In honor of the occasion, Ricky Smith offered this picture of a Christmas ornament he carved based on a pattern by Joel Hull that appeared in the Fall 2003 issue of Wood Carving Illustrated. The snowman was painted by Claire McGough. Last week we had our annual Christmas party at class. Thanks to everyone that contributed to the great food and company. We even managed to get some work done. I pray that you all have a blessed and happy new year!

Here is a good example of a simple idea that, when executed well, can be quite effective. Ricky came to me with this design and after a good deal of deliberation on everything from design details to finish to framing, here are the results. Well done Ricky.

Two excerpts from what I read this morning struck me as applicable to the world of art: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge." (from Psalm 19) and... "Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made." (Romans 1:20) This is just something to think about.

I wanted to think a little about why people carve wood. One of the reasons I often hear is to relax. It seems to provide a good way to get away from it all. For a little while, one can leave behind the troubles of the world and focus on something creative and rewarding. Carving, like many other crafts or artistic endeavors, requires a certain level of concentration. In order to be safe, you need to be aware of your tools as well as what and how you are cutting. I think this helps to block out those all consuming anxieties and allows one to focus on the process - to live in the moment. So much of our lives seem to be spent regretting the past or worrying about the future that we lose sight of where we are right now. The sense of relaxation is also aided by the contemplative aspect of carving. In this hectic life, we are either rushing to complete tasks or we stop to let the TV do our thinking for us. Carving requires us to think about what we are doing. We must be actively involved. At

I really like the look of these woodcarvers tool totes . I think I will have to put one on my wish list. I'm not yet sure which size I prefer. Which one do you like?

If you can make it to Bettendorf, Iowa on June 25-28 2009, be sure to check out the 43rd International Wood Carvers Congress . The quality of carvings at this show is always excellent. There are some examples from prior shows on The Affiliated Wood Carvers site. I wish I could make it.

Shortly after carving the stick for my son, I carved a wood spirit as a gift to his class. This was also carved with the Flexcut Carvin' Jack . I just had a chance to get a picture of it.