Chipmunk

Spending time in the woodland it is hard not to notice the chatter of chipmunks. They range in color from gray to red. Chipmunks lives underground. They prefor to burrow near a rock, log or other object. The chipmunk will continue to dig for it's entire life. Burrows have been found over thirty feet long. Chipmunks feed on insects, nuts, seeds, berries and grain, which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store. Chipmunks hibernate, but instead of storing fat, they periodically dip into their cache of nuts and seeds throughout the winter.

 

Big Eyed Fish

This is a comic fish if you can't tell. It may have come up from deep in the sea. I carved two different fish with the same pattern in cottonwood bark. I didn't sand them so they show the tool marks. My hope was it added a scale  look, plus I don't like sanding.

Low Flyer

This time of year we have a migration of geese, ducks, and swans through our area. This is the first time I attempted a project in pyrography like this Mallard Drake. It was a woodburning with a variable temperature tool and a writing tip on basswood. I burned in curved lines, dash strokes. dots, and scrubby lines. The colored work was with watercolor pencils. I used pencil kit so the colors might not be exactly right. Some area's have several color layers.Temperature control and line techniques take a lot of practice.

Lady Praying

This is a small simple carving of a lady praying. It's carved out of butternut with a natural finish. Butternut is easy to carve and it works well with this type of carving.

Comic Relief

This was a comic drawing with the title "It's been one of those days". It's carved from 1/2 inch thick basswood and painted with acrylics. I learned a few things carving this turtle and I'm going to carve another one with a few changes. It was fun to carve and bring out the different levels. He does look a little punch drunk after a hard days work or maybe it was play.

Library Display

In March I have the opportunity to show my carvings at the Plummer library. There are three large shelves so I have around five years of work displayed. I included information about some of the carvings for interest. 

Thatch Hut

This thatch hut was carved out of cottonwood bark. The hole in the front window was made by carpenter ants and goes thought to the bottom at the back. There is one other hole on the back. I found dead ants in both holes. The hut is finished with semi-gloss Deft. With the winter storms coming through, it makes you think of the little grass huts, a fruit drink in your hand and the warm ocean breeze.