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St. Ignatius - Lettering and Sealing

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The lettering on the book is now burned and some sealer has been applied. On the left side of the book it says in Latin "Constitutiones Societatis Jesu" which in English would be "Constitutions of the Society of Jesus." On the right side is "Ad majorem Dei gloriam" which is the motto of the Society of Jesus (commonly called the Jesuits.) The motto is also in Latin and translates to "For the greater glory of God."

St. Ignatius - Progress Photos 360 Degrees

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A lot of progress has been made on the St. Ignatius statue . I realized that I have only posted photos from the front so far. So, here are some pictures from different angles. Please let me know if you have any constructive criticism.

Testing Tool Sharpness Before Making That Cut

I was just about to make a fine detail cut with a tool I have not used in a while. I had second thoughts. What if this tool is not perfectly sharp? The cut will be cross grain and a dull tool would tear the wood fibers requiring me to re-carve the entire surrounding area. The point is, be sure you have a scrap piece of wood you can test your tools on first. It turns out that the tool was sharp, but I'm still glad I checked first. Do you ever test your tools before making a cut?

St. Ignatius - Progress Photos Number 3

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We are at the stage where a lot of work is being done, but it may be difficult to tell from the photos. A good deal has been done forming the back. The base, book and feet have been shaped up.

St. Ignatius - Refining the Form

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Here are a some photos showing the further refining of the major forms of the St. Ignatius carving. I am intentionally leaving extra wood around the extended hand to provide strength while working on the rest of the carving.

St. Ignatius Initial Rough Out

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Here are some progressive photos of the rough out stage of the St. Ignatius carving. This is the very important stage of establishing the major forms and proportions. At this point you should start to recognize what design in the wood. Can you see it?

New Blog Address

Please note that I have moved the blog to a new address at blog.texaswoodcarving.com . Please check there for future posts. You can also get to the new blog via my website at www.texaswoodcarving.com or www.msdesigns.net . What do you think? Do you like the new address, or did you prefer it where it was?