Santa Ornaments

I started painting the hair and beards of my Santa's like I seen another carver do so. I use watered down acrylic's mainly from Americana.  I start with yellow and paint all the hair. while it's still wet I paint burnt sienna, leaving some yellow. Then I paint light Butttermilk leaving some of the other colors show. I let the paint dry. Then I use straight white in a dry brush method, leaving little paint on the brush and just hit the high spots. I like how it looks and it will depend on how you applied the paint.

Santa with Walking Stick

This Santa is 4 inches tall. I used a piece of tile for a base. I painted the beard first with yellow, mainly in the grooves, then burnt sienna, and then with an off white (light butternut) on the ridges. This is the first time I tried painting this way. I need a little more work on this technique. I would like to see more yellow showing. I like the outcome enough to do this again.

 

Tear Drop Santa

Leroy gave a class on this Tear Drop Santa at West Glacier. It is 3 1/2 inch tall by 2 by 2 inches. I cut the wood round on three sides. I carved the tear shape leaving the square side for the face. Draw an oblong circle and carve in the face. I intend to carve several for this Christmas season.

St. Nick

This Santa was carved from a rough out for my wife. She has a collection of Santa's. He is 10 inches tall and carved from basswood. I wish everyone Merry Christmas. May the holidays be good for you and your family.

 

Santa Ornament

This Santa was carved from a 2 inch square, 6 inches long, it was cut on a diagonal. I used a coffee lid to mark the rounded back and carved it. I then carved the face on the front and left an area of natural wood and the edge to be painted. It gives a nice frame for the carving. I like to carve or wood burn something on the back of my ornaments.

 

Christmas Ornament

This ornament was carved from Cottonwood bark. It is about 6 inches long. The back is slightly carved inward. I dry painted the top edges of the hair and beard with silver acrylic paint. It was then brushed with a satin lacquer for a natural finish.   

Bearing Gifts

This Santa is carved from a Moore rough out. It is 12 inches tall. I wasn't able to finish it before Christmas but will able to display the Santa this coming season.

Year End

My last carvings for the year. I needed to cut down a Birch tree because to top was dying. I carved this Santa face from a branch 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 4 inches long. It carved easily because it was green. The top and bottom has some crack marks as it drys, Time will tell if it cracks into the carving. The second carving is a Santa pin that I wore during this Christmas season. It is carved from a 1 1/2 triangle block, 2 1/4 inches long. I wish everyone a prosperous new year.

Santa Ornament

This Santa is carved from a 2 inch block cut at an angle  and is 6 inches long. I carved a layered beard and hair. The back is dished out.The beard and hair are painted with light buttermilk by Americana. Then I highlight with white. I used a bristle brush and dab most of the paint off. Also on the carved ridges of the hat although it doesn't show in the picture.

Santa Ringing in Christmas

This is the time of year it starts to get colder and the hunting season for Elk and Deer are here. Also you will see the red and black flannel shirts being worn. This Santa is carved from a one inch square by 4 inches long piece of basswood. The bell is from a craft store.I try to do different things to each carving to make them more individual.

Santa Ornaments

This is the time of year I spend a lot of time carving ornaments for Christmas while still working on other carvings. I like this type of ornament where it can be hung on a tree or set on a shelf or end table. The Santa is carved from a 2 inch square and 3 inches long. 

 

Ma and Pa Claus

When asked what I was carving, I replied " Ma and Pa Santa". I suppose I was thinking of Ma and Pa Kettle in the back of my mind. I enjoyed these old movie series. The Santa is about 4 1/2 inches tall.

 

Santa Is Coming To Town

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. I let my wife chose a rough-out of a Santa and she liked this one. It will compete with all the doll type Santa's. It is 16 inches tall. This is the time of year there is a lot of good cheer and a giving nature. I hope it can carry on throughout the next year.

 

Santa Revisited

I had carved this same Santa in December 2010. The block of wood is a quarter inch larger but I carved the Santa thinner. This one is 9 inches tall. The chip carved part has smaller chips. I added a line border to the chips because it looked unfinished. I like this version a lot better. 

Santa Ornament

A lady shared a picture of this Santa ornament with me. She was teaching this ornament in a class. I thought it was unique with the pine cone bottom. My cone and face are different, but it is the same idea. It is out of a 1 1/2 block, and 3 1/4 inches long. 

Whimsical Santa Tree

I wanted to carve this Santa Tree and out camping was a good time to do this and I was able to finish two bark houses too. The Santa is 5 inches tall and 2 inches square. Instead of using a pattern approach to the tree I did random cuts for the branches, although I think using a pattern of some sort would have been easier and cleaner cuts. It would make a nice ornament.

Fusion Santa

The season of joy and good will is among us. This Santa combines both caricature and chip carving. In an article in Woodcarving magazine, Gary Peiffer uses a lathe turned blank. I don't have a lathe so it's carved to round for the chip carving. It's 1 1/2 inch square by 8 inches tall. The Santa is painted with acrylic's and a couple coats of Deft.

Cheese Knives

These cheese knives are one of the 3 hour classes we did at West Glacier. We could choose a knife, a spreader or a pickle fork. The knife is 2 1/4 inch long and the wood is 1 inch square by 3 inches long. I'm going to order more of the knives and spreaders to carve different faces on the handles. They will make fun gifts for giving.

Santa

My first post was underlined and alittle annoying. It is a learning process just as carving. I carved this stick santa from a pattern in Carving magazine by Richard Keller. It's a fun and easy carving  that doesn't take a lot of time. I carved the eyes open and painted a green and red combination on the coat and hat. It goes good with this rest of the Christmas decorations around the house.