Short Timer

A Short Timer is anyone counting down the days to a significant date or event, such as retirement, military service, vacation, etc.  My friend and I were talking and he had carved a short timer relief 40 years ago with a Nady White Hat and the boots and eyes showing, for a friend leaving the Navy. We got to talking and agreed any hat and shoe could be used. I mentioned using a baseball cap and the eyes showing though the back side. He sketched a picture of the idea and I carved it out of basswood. It is 3 inches wide by 5 inches long and 2 inches high. The eyes give a worried look about what may be in the future. I know when I retired there was some concern on making a large change. 

A Rose

These two roses were line drawings. Kolrosing can be used on any line drawing. I used a lighter depth on the shading on the one coaster. I think it gives more depth and a little more interest to the rose. The lines are filled with a finely ground espresso blend coffee. There is a little history on kolrosing on the July 2010 post. Here is also a picture of the kolrosing knife.

Clinging Cross

The pattern for this cross is from the Carving magazine. The credit goes to Jane Davis who carved the crosses for volunteers who were traveling to New Orleans to help clean up after Hurricane Katrina. This clinging cross is carved from butternut and the finish is linseed oil, so it would have a soft feel to the cross.

Green Man

This Green Man is the design of Gary McDanial of 3crosseswoodcarving.com. Gary has a great video on this carving. The Green Man is usually an image of a face or body with foliage coming from the mouth, nose or eyes. It is sometimes the face or body surrounded by profuse foliage. There is a rich history of the Green Man. Nobody actually knows what the original name was for the Green Man. The earliest records of this type of design were found on memorial monuments to rich citizens, somewhere around 100 A.D. It was then a symbol of the renewal of life. The Christian church borrowed this art in Saxon times. To the medieval Christian mind he became a symbol of the rebirth after death. It is found in churches and cathedrals all across Europe. The Green Man today has a different meaning for most where he represents the cycle of nature. With the Renaissance the symbolic use appears to have declined, and the Green Man was used more as a conventional decorative motif. 

Bark House Spoon

With all the wall hanging spoons carved, I thought why not in bark and a whimsical house. It looks good on the wall. The boards are burned in and the rest was carved.

Thank You Military Personal

To show my thanks to our military personnel who serve in Afghanistan & Iraq and their families, I'm carving Santa ornaments to send to those who are interested. I know I can't give every service person one, but I can take the time to carve a fair amount this year. I need to start early because of the time it takes to carve them. Contact me if you have a  request. The Santa is four inches long and cut from a two inch block and cut at an angle. They are painted with acrylics with a coat of Deft. To keep up my interest there will be small difference in carving and painting techniques. There is a small space on the back where I can burn in a name or a small message of your choosing.  God bless our military. 

Cowgirl

This cowgirl was from a rough-out. The wood was dried out and hard to carve. I wasn't to happy the way the face turned out. I didn't go in much detail as I would like because of the wood. I like the paint job, so not everything is lost.  Anyway this gal is ready to go dancing.