...and a Conewago we go!!

"Rocky" - Woodcarving by Bob Hershey

So off we went to East Berlin, PA for the annual Conewago Woodcarvers show held at the Senior Center in East Berlin, Pa.  We had previously been to this location for classes with a few of the CCA members and it was good to be back.

With my NY contingent (Rob & Jim) accompanying me we set off for a one-day visit to the show (the show is held for 2 days).  

East Berlin is a quiet little town in south central Pennsylvania that is home to a well established carving community that is home to an array of carvers with different interests and an array of skill levels.  The club has a well engaged membership from top to bottom.  So it was not a surprise that their show and competition should be well attended.  CCA members and competitors were in attendance but the show also displayed talent in several other areas (chip carving, spoon carving, pyrography, fish and bird carving to mention just a few.  

After the show on Saturday a banquet was held, followed by entertainment.  The show was complete with silent auctions and demonstrations and is worth a day trip...well done Conewago!

That's the latest here...the winds are beginning to blow, the leaves have turned and are starting to fall, All Hallows Eve approaches...IT'S CARVING SEASON!  My favorite time of the year when the carving juices start to flow...I am carving, are you?

What I did on my summer vacation...

Carving by A. Filetti from
a Ryan Olsen roughout

...Not being one to follow a crowd and wanting to distinctly carve my way forward I set off to find "feminine" in my carvings.  In the past I have seen many try but few succeed and started my path by taking a Gary Falin double cowboy roughout and sitting down for a session of carving and an attempt to carve a cowgirl using my visual observations and previous carvers attempt at carving the female form.
This was done while sitting in a class with the Conewago carving club in East Berlin, PA,  a nice setting for the attempt, and some good observations from Mr. Jim Hiser's better half, Joan.
Having lived and been to some of the more remote regions of the West I have been exposed to cowgirls and settled on what I recalled from watching barrel racing at a local rodeo.  The competitors there and the female ranch/farm workers I encountered were very slight (but powerful) women.  So I carved my attempt in that fashion.  The result was a little off as I was limited to working within the existing roughout that was not
designed with the female form in mind.  After speaking with Joan and many other women, most were of the same opinion...she needed a little more on the top.
  My next attempt at the female form was based on a Norman Rockwell drawing but that was of a child and is for another story...
  While working on the Rockwell and still wanting to improve my skills in this arena,  I was fortunate to have had a discussion with Dave Stetson around the topic of female,  he has done well to capture the essence and I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase one of his female busts for study purposes.  In my discussions with Dave he mentioned the reference material available in the form of pin-up images from the 40's as a possible reference and we discussed at length the facial structure and how it differs from the male figure.  Dave was quick to point out a larger forehead exposure on women and we both agreed that the image created must appear "soft" and with the absence of lines.
  Other carvers like Vicki Bishop have carved the female form, but Vicki will admit she goes more for the "gritty" female which are more present in the cowgirl arena.
  Another carver who had taken on the challenge was my friend Ryan Olsen out of western Idaho.  Ryan has been working it for a few years and is an amazingly quick carver (him, Dave Stetson, and Mitch Cartledge seem to share that gene).  I had always enjoyed seeing his carvings and the prowess he had shown in carving.  One of my all time favorite carvings is his Barbershop Quartet that appeared in the CCA street scene...just simply outstanding.
  Well as luck would have it he had a class scheduled in June at the International Congress (hosted by the Affiliated Wood Carvers...more on them in a separate article).  As luck would have it my schedule allowed me to go.  Prior to attending the class I did have one observation that I believed attributes to the perception of feminine when it comes to imagery and that was the bridge of the nose must be nearly absent giving the image of a "kewpie doll" nose.
  I was also fortunate enough to have Rob Lucci ( local co-hort), Brian Hartman, and Phil Gentry in my class...some top-notch carvers.  Ryan presented us with many choices for the female form to chose from and also study.  Needless to say the class was outstanding,  Ryan is an excellent instructor (teacher by trade) and allowed me to follow my own path.  We had lengthy discussions along the way and agreed that capturing "feminine" in like trying to catch a slippery nightcrawler...one minute you have it, the next it is gone.  Capturing the essence can be elusive but with study and working to achieve a soft form it can be achieved, but not with its frustrating moments...
  On a side note we also had discussions on anatomy and motion.  This figure has movement in one leg that influences the figures skeletal stance...it was an excellent discussion that allowed me to capture that movement.
  What's to learn from this...well as I often instruct others, in order to carve a likeness you have to break down the "whole" into it's many parts and pay close attention to the carved facets and the shadow or lack thereof the facet creates.  An example of this is to break a component(e.g. nose) into it's many components (bridge, wings, tip, nostrils) and how they need to be represented.  Pay especially close attention to the "resulting planes" generated by your cuts to ensure they are of the correct shape, size, and angle.
  This is a topic worth study which can be both frustrating and rewarding but nothing worth achieving
is easy.
  I continue to carve (Fall is definitely carving season)...are you??

First attempt from a Gary Falin Roughout 

Resulting planes...paying attention to the message...

Hellboy by R. Lucci

...woodcarving in simplest terms is adding depth and dimension to a three dimensional medium...wood.  To achieve the proper effect one must pay close attention to the cuts being mad even and the resulting planes of the newly created facets.  The images shown here, thanks Rob, are a good demonstration of this.  A closer comparison of the carvings brow line and upper lip line show how a small change in the angle of the cuts made can affect the emotion conveyed.  To achieve the best result focus on the shadows generated.
Still carving..you?

Nice to know...

Burke Sharpener

...was pleasantly surprised when I attended the 2018 Charlotte Woodcarvers show to find Ms. Nancy Burke in attendance showing and promoting her wares.  The Burke sharpener is key to my carving happiness as it allows me to quickly and accurately sharpen my tools which allows me more carving time with measurably better results.

As most of you know Nancy’s husband John passed away in recent times leaving me wondering about the state of the business.  As Nancy told me she spent many years working with John to assemble the various models and together they were able to keep things moving. I am happy to report that Nancy is continuing the tradition and it was truly nice to see her.

The success and happiness of a carver truly lies in being able to identify and maintain a sharp edge.  Nothing like a dull tool will dull a carvers interest.  More than 30 years ago my stepfather gave me a really nice pocket knife and taught me how to keep it sharp.  He was a butcher and taught me on water stones using the standard “dime” method that many of us know.  The key piece of information he imparted to me was that how the placement of a bevel can create a blade that remains sharp when being worked hard.  In addition he taught me that if I could look at the cutting edge of my tools I would see that it is made up of many microscopic teeth like you would see on a handsaw.  When these teeth get bent over they leave white scratches behind requiring us to strop our blades.  To supplement this information about 15 years ago I was fortunate to listen to a talk being given by Marv Kaisersatt who imparted his blade shape preference which eliminates the bevel completely.  I adopted this teardrop cross-section shape which has brought me the type of results I desire with tools that are “slick” in their cutting and remain “scary” sharp.  

Prior to my Burke purchase I used a set of arkansas stones, then graduated to an Ultimate Sharpener, then finally my Burke.  I am protective of my knives as they are my primary tool and when I need to reshape them I will utilize diamond stones and cards in combination with the machine.  This ensures I have the desired shape prior to sharpening and finishing of the cutting edge.  An example of this is that the spine of my knives are rounded which allows me to roll out of a cut.  Square spines are not bad and are preferred on my “hogging” knives as the maintain a rigid  and strong blade that can take  a beating.

So why a Burke when I have an ultimate sharpener?  Before I answer this I need to provide you a little background...while I am mechanically inclined I am not a machinist nor an engineer.  I know what a C&C machine is but have never operated anything but a mainframe computer.  So to put it nicely my machining skills are amateurish.  I do not want to spend my time sharpening but rather carving and my carving budget is at the higher end.  Given that I chose to have the Burke at my side as it operates at a much slower speed (so I don’t fry many tools temper) and the wheels on the lower spindle spin slightly faster and allow me to polish the channels of my gouges.  While many debate the need to polish your gouges channels in my experience my tools become even “slicker” (less resistance) which allows me to quickly effectively cut myself...er..the wood.

I have owned this model for around 10 years and I use a green oil based rouge and could not be happier.  An investment in my happiness that I will never regret.

One other note is that prior to traveling I can run through all the tools in my box in very little time with the cutting edge I desire.  It should also be noted that learning to use the machine and sharpen a variety of tools takes time and practice so Be patient and make sure you put in the effort.

It’s a warm day here in NY and I will be carving...will you????

Hats off to Charlotte...

Carving by Peter Ortel - Best of Show, Charlotte Woodcarvers 2017

 ...for another outstanding show.  Woodcarving competitions can be fickle things that when tweaked they can either improve dramatically or head in the other direction.  The Charlotte Woodcarvers got this right.  It's truly amazing what they did with the weather too,  for the most of it it was sunny and warm (~ 70 degrees).
   All kidding aside, I left last years show bewildered as to the judging that took place.  As someone who serves as a competition judge for my clubs show I take judging very seriously as I like to have the playing field as level as possible prior to the actual judging taking place.  The item that I noted last year was in a category I competed in (I was not in the running for a ribbon),  however one competitor flaunted the rules in his submission in the he was allowed to enter a carving that clearly was not defined by the category in which it was entered.  The carving was very well done but clearly had an advantage over the other carvings in the category.  Even knowing I did not have a chance at a ribbon I was disturbed that the entry was allowed to compete in the particular category.  Given this,  I took a moment and spoke with the director of the competition and expressed my concerns regarding the rules and like has happened in other competitions I assumed that this might not be addressed other than a cursory fashion.  Boy was I wrong...the club had the intestinal fortitude to listen to my comments (and most likely comments from others) regarding this issue and corrected the issue through rule changes.  Dang skippy, it appears their competition committee really took it to heart and made the necessary clarification in the competition categories, as well as adding a new Caricature category for strictly roughouts...and their is not a complaint to be had.  This year's competition was stiff as the quality of the entries really ramped up.  On the caricature side of things I had my butt handed to me by Pete Ortel in the Roughout category but I am really trying to figure out how bad placing 2nd to Peter is (he-he).
  I am proud to say the boys from Western NY did a fine job in the competition this year, as we all had winners.  I appreciate Jim and Rob keeping me in line for a weekend filled with 12 hours drives.
  Kudos also go out to Bill and Judy Dominick for inviting us to their place for a special gathering.  It was truly a special evening and for their welcoming spirit we are eternally grateful.  Part of the evening circled around Peter Ortel putting on display his 2000 Best of Show winner (Congress) - "Love".  This piece is one that I am sure has inspired many a carver and I was fortunate to see it in person.  Rumor has it that he was taking the carving to a professional photo shoot and the result of the shoot will be an upcoming article - stay tuned for that as their is a lot to learn from that piece.

D. Stetson carvings

  Another note from the competition weekend was the ever increasing attendance by members of the CCA,  I counted 9 (Wolfe, Stetson, Ortel, Cartledge, Hajny, Boone, Brown, Dowdy, Hiser).  I appreciate the time I got to spend with Dave Stetson as I absorbed quite a bit in the few moments we spoke and really enjoyed seeing the quality in his work.  What was amazing was to see how wide of a net he cast in his subject matter,  it seems he like Mitch has no fear of carving whatever comes to mind.  Dave like myself leans to the artist side of things so we have in common with our approach to carving.
  Thanks also go out to Tom Wolfe and Mitchell for hosting the whittling competition again this year,  and Page for keeping it all straight.  I am not a speedy carver but I somewhat survived and did not totally embarrass myself and for that I am grateful.
A shout also needs to go to my competitors and vendors who travelled from far and wide...Prince Arnold and his entourage from my future home state of Georgia (try the cake),  Big Dave and his wonderful family, Blake(my brother from another mother) and others from the great state of Tennessee,  crazy old Maurice and the knot-hole gang from Virginia (great group of guys), Jim and crew (Conewago carvers) from the keystone state of PA, Dylan and his new bride from the UP in Michigan.
  When visiting such events, as quick as the time goes by, I make every effort to learn what I can.  On this trip I had a few moments to talk with Michelle Parsons (a vendor at this event and an extremely talented pyrographer).  Michelle had a wide array of burning equipment for sale, and through conversation I was able to learn more about the differences between the differing brands and models.  It is not as clear cut as it seems and there is a lot one can learn from these folks that might be useful in our world.  Thanks Michelle for taking a few moments to speak with me.
  I am sure I am forgetting something, but it will come back to me I am sure long after I publish this article...

  In recap, Charlotte Woodcarvers you are setting the competition/show standard for the region...we who are about to carve salute you!!

  Winter is struggling to hang on here in Western NY which in a way is fine with me as it gives me time to relax and whittle.  I hope this writing finds you with a sharp knife in one hand and a fine piece of Northern Wisconsin basswood in da other...carve well and often!

A mighty fine example...

J. Butlin the model

Yup still here...thanks for asking.

...a long time ago in a carving world far, far away I took classes from my friends (and yours) Phil & Vicki Bishop.  As part of the roughout classes I took were all the many lessons reaffirmed by the likes of Gary Falin and others.  A particular lesson that I learned that is vital is that before we can truly create a great caricature carving we need to understand some measure of anatomy and what is "normal".  This teaching came up on a recent visit to our family in NC (Mitch and Page) when Jim was beginning to work on one of his first full figure carvings.  He had experience with roughouts which allowed him to work on the general anatomical layout which also allowed him to start carving hands.  Through minimal guidance he was able to generate some fine hands in many positions.  The challenge came as he advanced through to generating his original ideas in carvings of his own design.  One in particular was a barefoot banjo player, "T. Wang" as I understand he was named but his far better half.  The design of a instrument playing figure did pose challenges for general hand and finger placements but also represented his first time carving a bare foot.  While the picture may seem funny and while we did have some safety concerns (we wanted that knife on a leash) the fact is he was able to generate a mighty fine resemblance of a foot by using himself as a model.
  I remember Vicki often stating that we are our best model and I have to say many years later that this is a lesson I have retained and continue to utilize today.  If you have ever spent much time around caricature carvers we spend a lot of time in front of a camera trying to capture a pose,   in front of a mirror creating a visual memory, or just like Jim trying to remember how to count to 5...this simple method should be used often as it pays dividends and results in much finer carvings.

  Well, I don't much pay attention to that critter in PA,as it is beginning to look a lot like spring is just around the corner...so now is the time to carve before the spring chores arrive and our cutting time is whittled away.
  I am spending the day with my carving thoughts...how about you? 

Dayton...errr...Wilmington 2016 Artistry in Wood

Ryan Olsen-cast of Caricatures

 Another road trip...this time to Wilmington Ohio for the 2016 Artistry in Wood show.  I wasn't sure what to expect but the CCA organization was in attendance and couldn't pass on seeing the gang and talking carving.
This year's show was a challenge as most folks know...the old venue near the Dayton Airport was sold and closed which left the club seeking a venue worthy of attendance.  They found one in the guise of the Roberts Centre just down the road in Wilmington.  Of course the standard November date was not available so they had to go with what they could achieve which turned out to be Labor Day weekend.  While all of the normal attendees could not make it due to the date change a large number did (Heinecke, Woodcarving Illustrated, The Woodcraft shop...to name a few).  The quality of the pieces on display were worth the trip with the CCA Members displaying some of their wares joined by carvers of the likes Terry Brasher (Aerosmith carving was outstanding!),  Dylan Goodson (some great chain mail carved on a knight), Fred Zavadil (amazing relief carving that makes you drool), Al Jordan (hey he's from my club!!!...with his outstanding display of birds), Gary Falin (wow, he has stepped up his carving game fer sure) and many more.
Now, I only attend this show around every 4 years (usually timing it with CCA visits) the show is truly a must-see.  All caricature carvers should attend at least once in their carving lifetime as it exposes you to a wide array of talent and vendors. 
Hmm, now on to the venue...the Roberts Centre is conveniently located right off exit # 50 off Route 71 (Wilmington is SE of Dayton).  The venue includes a hotel (Holiday Inn-currently being renovated),  a restaraunt (standard american fare), and the Centre.  The show venue is truly a step up from the old location (appears to be a recent build) with ample bathrooms and space to accomodate the show.  As far as accomodations,  like most folks we were unable to acquire a room at the hotel as it was booked by the time we decided to go.  We did stay 2 exits up the road near a Tanger Outlet and others stayed at a nearby Holiday Inn Express,  no complaints here however room prices are higher than what we experienced in Dayton and that is a concern for a large number of folks.
Overall my hat goes off to Dayton Carvers Guild...they did an excellent job of adapting to change and from the lines waiting to get in it appeared attendance was not too far off.  I know that the club is seeking to return to their old dates, but as far as venue goes I think they have a good one.  Great job!

Yes, it's a holiday and that means I get to carve...are you carving? 

This is what mentoring is all about...

Best In Class Carving by Rob Lucci (2016)

...another wonderful month of carving for sure! 
  Me and the gentlemen I "encourage" took to the Erie County Fair that is held each year outside of Buffalo, NY.  The Fair, if Wikipedia is to be believed, is the largest in New York State and the 3rd largest in the US.
  Rob, Jim, and myself packed up some carvings and threw in with the Buffalo crowd for a good old competition and as you can see from the picture we had a measure of success.  (Rob having the greatest success)  Each of us was able to walk away with shiny new ribbons and also some extra carving money as well!   
  As you probably know if you are a regular reader of this blog I started mentoring these gents a few years back and man has it payed back in spades.  I enjoy seeing their success and watching them grow in the art. 
  This year I estimate I will have been carving for ~ 25 years now,  and through the years one thing I have noticed is the sense of family we Caricature Carvers share.  As we all know times are changing with many interests trending towards the electronic age.  Knowing this it is up to us to share our art and encourage others to join us.  Who knows, you might get the same enjoyment I am getting while growing our family.
  It's another hot one here in Western NY,  sunny and dry...a perfect reason to sit in the AC and get some carving done.  I hope you are doing the same!

Toto we're not in Kansas anymore...



Scarecrow handcarved by Jim Hiser (2016)

...true but we were in East Berlin, PA!!!

Just got back from a weekend hosted by Jim Hiser and the Conewago Carvers with renowned instructor Chris Hammack.  Me and the Rochester gang took his 2-day Caricature class that was held in the East Berlin Community Center.

It was our first visit to this venue and I could tell from our host that this would be worth the almost 6 hour drive.  Jim does a great job of facilitating and supporting the instructor and students with ample communication and direction.  Jim is also a recent inductee into the Caricature Carvers of America(CCA) organization.  A well deserved honor (see his 2nd Best of Show carving in the CCA competition in 2015).

Jim has carved himself a little niche with his wonderful scarecrows that utilize a Chris Lubkemannesque technique for generating the required straw (see image).  These whimsical scarecrows are a great demonstration of movement and you can see the pride and skill in each piece.

As for the class,  Mr. Hammack has, as expected, outdone himself as his varied and constantly changing roughouts provide an elevated challenge for the caricature carver and as demonstrated by his Barflies great interest has followed.  Chris is a patient and knowledgable instructor and should you get the chance to spend time with him,  it is money well spent.  Chris and the whole flock of CCA members will be attending this year's Artistry in Wood show that will be held Labor Day in Wilmington, Oh.  Each of the members will be displaying some of their works. 

As far as future classes in East Berlin go...Jim states that he will have a handle on 2017 classes in early November.  To register you can either keep on eye on copies of Chip Chats or visit http://www.conewagocarvers.com/  (Note: the facility is well lit and ample power is provided...overall a perfect setting for letting the chips fly)

Well this class has got my carving juices flowing...what are you doing to keep the chips flying?
 

The littlest details...

Pirate "go-by" by C. Hammack

...have the greatest impact!

Ok, so your carving and you have done everything to make sure your figure has the proper appearance (i.e. no 3rd leg) and you're done right?? 
It has been my experience carving and collecting others works I have noticed that while ensuring your figure has the proper appearance (e.g. bone joints are in their proper locations) the carvings having the most visual impact have some of the  greatest details through some of the smallest cuts.  These cuts were created by knives some by V-gouges and yet others by veiners or u-gouges.
These cuts can have a great impact but only when done properly.  Some of the best carvings I have seen have many tiny triangle cuts and small cuts,  these must be practiced to ensure the proper result. 
Ok so what do I mean...well...there are two things that jump to mind the first of which is something all good carvers know...your tools must be at their sharpest (not just sharp but really really sharp)...the tool should glide through the wood.  The second item is the the cut should result in the proper planes being generated that will display the proper highlight or shadow.  Essentially all cuts we make create highlights and shadows which in turn gives the appearance of depth.  The use of a wide V-tool will open the resulting cut to more light than a narrow V-tool...this is why the vendors sell us multiple angle varieties of v-tools as there are uses for both styles depending on what the carver is trying to achieve.
A good example is to examine the image provided and look to the scar Chris cut on the nose of the pirate...he created steep, narrow and deep cuts to ensure when he added the strong paint tone that the scar would jump out at you (good composition).  Also note the bag under the eye and the cuts made there. 
If you move on to the mustache it has been enhanced with what appears to be a veiner/u-gouge result in a hint towards the hairs that reside there. 
Of course if you examine the image you will find other examples of this.  Having these examples for you to examine can be quite helpful in advancing your abilities and result in carvings that have a greater impact.
Just something to think about while your whittling by the camp fire or at that park.

I'm carving, are you??
 

Ornament Demonstration

Ornament by A. Filetti (2015)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!!

Well back in August our woodcarving clubs executive board met to set the year's meeting agendas and for the month of November we decided on ornament carving talks.  The carving at the left is a result of my presentation to our club.  It is a simple relief carving taken from a holiday card found at a local dollar store for less than the expected dollar.  I made some minor modifications to the design to make it my own and using carbon paper I transferred the pattern to a 1/4" block of basswood.  I then spent time whittling my image and painted using acrylics.  Nothing too complicated with the piece and it can be turned out with a minimal amount of effort.  So when you receive a holiday card save the ones that you might be able to use as a pattern and throw them into your Artists Morgue for later use.
I hope this message finds all of you in the carving spirit and maybe this will provide some simple inspiration.  Its cold outside...oh what a great day to carve!!  So will you carve???

I've got my copy...

Caricature Carvers of America's Concepts to Caricatures

...so I just learned of the CCA's new book Concepts to Caricatures and was able to obtain a copy right out of the gate.  The book gives us insight into the design efforts of 26 CCA members with the highlight being Chris Hammack's "The Pitch" (really a series of 5 carvings depicting the various stages a baseball pitcher goes through in order to deliver his specialty).  Chris's article takes you step-by-step through the creation of one of the carvings in the series, and the series is a great study of motion.  As always you get your money's worth with Chris.
While I have not perused all 160 pages of the book, it is loaded with both pictures and content that make it worth the suggested price ($25).  The both includes patterns for those who want to give a particular carving a try and there is also a bonus picture gallery of carvings by both the active and emeritus membership.  The book's ISBN:  978-0-7643-4977-5  and is available via Amazon.com which appears to be selling for as low as $20.  A worthy investment for your reference library.

We all need some inspiration...with this you should be carving!  (Time to make sure your tools are sharp...like it or not winters a comin'!)

A good effort...

Meter Maids A Comin'
A. Filetti - 2015

  Well I hope everyone has had a good summer,  the weather here in the Northeast has been a bit weird the entire year, however the summer has been sunny with neither too little or too much precipitation.  This allowed me and the clan to carve on many occasions in the out of doors,  which is great considering that for 1/3 of the year we spend in overcast hibernation.
  As per normal I spent my time getting ready to compete in the annual Caricature Carvers of America competition...something I look forward to each year.  At the start of the summer I already had two submissions ready for travel and was working on a Mitch Cartledge roughout (Doc).  This brought me to my most recent conundrum...how to present the carving.
  It has been my experience that in the past carvings without a base do not fair well in competition an not wanting a simple pre-finished base I had an idea.  I decided to place him in a scene.  I checked the rules and the rules did not explicitly forbid placing a caricature carving in a scene and entering the carving in the roughout class.  Well of course the carving did not place in this years competition, which leaves me to ponder if the scene was the reason for it not placing.  Only the judges will know for sure.
  Having known about the competition concern going in, I just could not help myself.  The roughout was a fun one and the scene tells a story about a man seeing the meter maid coming, the parking meter has expired and all of his coins have fallen out of a hole in his jacket pocket and are resting comfortably in the storm drain.  The design was fun from the get-go, and getting the composition to gel was a challenge I sorely needed.  The carving is painted in Acrylics over a thinned coat of boiled linseed oil.  It was sealed with Deft and a coat of BriWax was applied.  Overall a fun piece that will bring a smile to my face for years to come.
  So the next time you get that itch to be creative, don't let a set of competition rules dictate your creativity but rather be as creative as you want and let the competition chips fall where they may.  I know this was the case for this carving and I absolutely have no regrets.
  Our summer days are waning,  grab a knife and a block of wood and go sit a spell under a shade tree...your soul will be better for it!

Whittling away at life's problems one shrimp at a time...

Bart holding court

  Well its been a busy first half of summer here in Western NY,  but I am happy to say that it also did include some carving and better yet it was with a cast of caricatures.
Each spring Mr. Bart Wilson, and his better half Miss Donna, host a weekend gathering of carvers where we all get to sit back and carve without a care in the world (i.e. just turn on the old black and white westerns and get to carvin').  There truly is nothing better.
  Carvers from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee joined me there.  It truly was like a family gathering as a menagerie of hounds provided first rate comfort and entertainment.  Bart and Miss Donna are first rate in hosting and we were treated to a wonderful Low Country Boil on Saturday night...awesome!
  Now you might be asking what was carved that weekend...well it really was not of great import as we were with our carving family,  having the occasional adult beverage and regaling each other with carving tales.
  At the end we were surrounded with chips, had the opportunity to see a large carving collection,  bellies were full, and stresses relieved.  That is what carving with family is like and it is one of the best attributes of caricature carvers...fellowship.
  A hearty thank you goes out to Bart and Donna for their hospitality, they were magnificent and I hope to return for future gatherings.
  This is how carving should be...and I wish you the same.  It's a beautiful summer day, get out and carve (and carve with your family if you can)!!

Knifespeak...

Blade Terminology

Knife tuning...

Case Polishing cloth, DMT Diamond Sharpener, Strop, Denny
knife, and DMT diamond sharpening card.

As with most Caricature carvers my primary woodcarving tool is a knife and as I have said on many occasions it should be a 'proper' caricature carving knife that enables its user to create the best carving possible.  You probably have also heard me state that if I had to have a single knife it would be the former Denny (now OCC Tools) 1 7/8" Straight knife.  It is an excellent all around knife and it usually can be purchased for < $25.
To be clear...for Caricature carving I do not recommend in any shape or form razor blade cutters as they are not reliable and their use often leads to choppy carvings and increased risk of injury.
I also do not recommend bench knives for this style only because of the thickness of their blades.  These type of knives are not by any means deficient, they are just not proper for this style of carving.
Now I do understand that not everyone has an extensive carving budget, but we do not have to be extravagant in our purchases to maintain a knife.  At a minimum a carver should have a strop, strop compound (I use aluminum oxide), and a sharpener of their choosing.
  To be fair I do own an Ultimate Sharpener which is kept close to my carving area for quick touch-ups and a Burke Sharpener for more serious gouge sharpening.  For knives though I do recommend you avoid these as much as possible and take the time to strop and sharpen by hand.  The reason...its our bread and butter and extra time and care should be taken.
  Now I am not an expert sharpener by any means, however I do get the desired result...a "slick" knife.  What that means is that my knife is not only extremely sharp it is also polished.  Now I know there is a debate on whether the inside channels of gouges or the sides of knives should be polished but I would say definitely yes to this as it reduces the drag when making a cut.  Allowing the user greater precision with less fatigue and frustration.
  How do achieve the polish...simple...after stropping the cutting edge...strop the sides of the blade...over time you will be rewarded with a mirror finish and beautiful cuts (better than sandpaper).
  One shape consideration...I was lucky to hear Marv Kaisersatt speak on woodcarving about 10 years ago and he showed us his preferred knife profile.  Of note was his rounding of the knifes spine.  He felt this allowed him greater ability to make curling cuts.  I too round the spine of my knifes as not only does it allow for curling cuts but also eliminates knife drag and wood breaks (i.e.unclean cuts).  I would note that the rounding of the spine changes the knifes rigidity make the blade more flexible which also can mean it more subject to knife tip snapping.
  Take some time to examine your knives and their shapes.  In the case of the pictured knife it had started to develop a tip-up at the tip of the knife and also an negative arc at the center of the cutting surface (interpret this as my knifes cutting edge was not straight).  These developments had come from years of use and stropping (some on the Ultimate Sharpener strop).  As such I needed to bring the knife back into "tune". 
  Tuning a knife depending on the situation takes time and patience and should not be rushed.  Trust me the effort and result are well worth it.  The first step I take when tuning a knife is to reshape the blade bringing the spine and cutting edge to the desired shape, once I have that it is a matter of sharpening the blade.   The length of the sharpening process will depend on the extent of the modifications required to reshape the blade and its condition when starting this process.  The key is to know what you desire and then put forth the effort to achieve this.
  If you are new to sharpening I would recommend getting/borrowing a copy of the video  "Sharpening Simplified" by Everett Ellenwood.  It is a good place to start.  Also if you have a limit I would look into DMTs Diamond Sharpening Cards (about $10 each, 3 different grit levels) which can be found at Woodcraft and other stores.
  Spring is here and I've given you something to contemplate...why not strop up your tools while your at it??

Good stuff...

Basswood bundle from Wilcox Wood Works

While visiting the Charlotte show I took time to peruse the vendors displaying their wares.  Two of these suppliers are a wonderful addition to the knowledge base.
The first being a little outfit out of Stanley, NC...Southern Carving & Leather.  These folks were displaying an array of leather items of particular interest were their strops.  one of which truly stood above the rest.  The single handed strop is two sided having both cow & pig leather strops firmly adhered to a healthy block of wood.  The strop was extremely reasonably priced at $10 and I would highly recommend this product.  (actually thinking of adding a few to my stockpile).  While I found no website the product can be obtained by contacting them at 704-215-9955 (number found on strop).

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  I prefer the tighter grain of pig leather used in combination with Aluminum Oxide powder...this combination keeps my knives highly tuned.

The second vendor is another fine addition as well....Wilcox Wood Works.  I met Rod & Muriel and at the show and Rod was kind enough to answer a question regarding basswood coloring and whether or not the clearer wood was from the interior of the log...the answer is that the color is not a true measure of where a particular block of wood has come from in a log.  This company is located out of Minong, WI and sells basswood, butternut, and pine.  For me the basswood is of high quality and comes in a variety of sizes which also includes board sizes of all starting at 1/4".  This supplier is another worth a look (my order was as expected and delivered in a timely fashion) and can be checked out online via the link posted on this site.
Having all this fine wood and supplies it is a day to be filled with carving.  C'mon get that lawn work done and whittle something while waiting on that grill!!

What a little color will do...

Best of Imtermediate Tom Wolfe Category by J. Butlin (2015)

For a little over a year now I have been coaching a couple of carvers and helping them through the steps necessary to advance their caricature carving skills.  One of whom is my friend Jim.  Jim has been carving for several years now and has taken quite a few carving classes with a variety of instructors.  These classes were on a range of topics and not limited to carving caricatures.  That actually has served Jim well when it came to finishing one of his latest pieces for the Charlotte show.  In the case of the dog in question I had provided guidance on a couple of recipes I learned, one in a standard style and one developed by Mitch Cartledge.  With the recipe and a little encouragement Jim was able to create an award winning piece (he won a Tom Wolfe carving) that has a tremendous finish.  Not surprising in this is that Jim has in the past carved and painted duck decoys and that skill served him well when it came to having the patience to apply the finish in the correct fashion. 
These days more often than not you will here carvers state that they either hate painting or do not want to paint at all.  That being the case I believe us experienced carvers need to start providing better guidance and instruction. 
For most carvers learning the art and attending classes the painting instruction most often does not involve the student selecting and preparing their paint.  This has lead to far too many carvings being covered with excessive amounts of paint with no wood grain being shown.  You might ask why having the wood grain showing is important...well it simply is to show that it is a woodcarving and not a piece of resin. 

A long standing finishing recipe for caricature carving is:

1. Ensure carving is free of dust and grime and all cuts are clean cuts with a sharp tool - no shredded wheat(this will help ensure uniform absorbing of the paint colors)
2. Wet carving-some folks will scrub with Simple Green (this step is optional however carving must be completely painted while carving is still wet)
3. Paint complete carving with thinned acrylics (depending on the color being used paints are thinned at different rates with reds being the most thinned and white being the least)
4. Antique the carving (tinted boiled linseed oil...per one gallon of oil add a one inch strip of Burnt Umber oil paint)
5. Sealant - matte finish (Deft spray lacquer is tried and true but can be hard to locate)
6. Wax - Feed-N-Wax provides the right amount of sheen

Recommendations:

• When applying the finish ensure you use and care for some quality brushes (round brushes are recommended)
• For a palette I would use a Paper Palette (thanks M. Stetson) found at art and hobby stores (comes in a pad like drawing paper)
• A helpful tool to have is a hair dryer, this can expedite the drying of the paint.
• A test block....always have a carved scrap nearby to test your color for transparency before applying on the carving (remember tint is hard to remove but can be added gradually)
• Have your "magic eraser" (Tom Wolfe speak for knife) on hand to eliminate bleed over should it occur.
• Practice...Practice..Practice...AND...thin that paint...no thinner...NO REAL THIN!!!
• Relax and enjoy your hobby (very important)

Ok so I made it sound simple...yes, but with practice and the right color selections you will advance your skills producing a nicely finished product.

My congratulations go out to my friend Jim Butlin, outstanding job my friend!!

Well, I got Jim to paint...what's your excuse??? C'mon spring might show up soon and then you will be having to mow the lawn again...carve while you still have the time!

Charlotte 2015...

Tom Wolfe Whittling Competition - Day 1

Well, the 2015 Charlotte Woodcarvers show has come and gone however its impact remains.  Folks, this crew knows how to throw a show and has an outstanding membership in support.  I have been going to their show for around 8 years and two venues.  While this competition covers the majority of carving categories it is one of the best for Caricature Carvers given the talent it draws. 
Anchoring this show is the support Tom Wolfe and Case Knives have long provided.  Tom hosts two whittling competitions, one each day, where all carvers are welcome.  In the case of 2015 one of our young talents, relief carver Dylan Goodson, swept both competitions as he applied his relief carving talent to the given block.  In these competitions, which are free, the carvers are handed a block of wood, told the rules (if there are any), and are given 1.5 hours to complete the carving.  Having sat in these competitions I can tell you it will test your mettle and through effort improve your skills.  This competition usually draws a large crowd with high interest.  For the competitors each are given a prize of sorts for use in there whittling adventures and we carvers are grateful to Case Knives, Heinecke Wood Products, and Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers for their longtime support.
It should be noted that the show is free and open to the public.  For competing carvers there is a standard entry fee for the competition which offsets the costs, but in return there are many carving forums held throughout the weekend on a wide range of carving topics and styles.
All in all a great show... and my thanks to a great club for making all of us feel welcome.  Let's hope for many more years!!
Ok, so it's Spring...you still can't do that much outside...so get carvin'!!!!!!

Charlotte Woodcarvers Club
 

A new recipe...



How Much?
A. Filetti - 2015

  As always I am out there ever searching for something new to learn about this art and I was fortunate to be taught a new finishing recipe.  As with all recipes you are seeking to improve your outcome and this was an experiment to do just that.
  The figure pictured here was featured in the previous post and is the completed piece.  The carving is now at home with a friend but the experience was an excellent learning experience.  During the holidays I turned to youtube.com to see what was available in helping to pick a color palette for painting the figure.  It turns out there are several videos on color theory which provide a whole range of information.  For me I tried to keep it simple using complementary colors (blue and orange) in order to create an attractive piece.
  Put the color study together with a new finishing recipe and you end with a finish as shown.
  The new recipe involves first slathering a 60/40 Mineral Spirits/Boiled Linseed Oil mixture on the entire fixture and letting it dry,  painting it with thinned Acrylics (to allow for the wood grain to show),  sealing it with Deft Spray Lacquer (I prefer Satin or Matte), and then once dry carefully applying BriWax Original (Golden Oak) with a toothbrush and then buffing.  Care should be taken when applying the wax as it will darken the finish drastically (The jeans were painted a denim blue and the shirt a light blue.)  When applied correctly the recipe seems to work well resulting in a warm and attractive finish.  It is my recommendation that if you attempt this you must first try this on a test piece to master the application of the wax.  Also, I do not believe you will get a better result with a substitution wax as the color tends to enrich the carvings shadows.
  I hope this information helps...its darn cold outside but the coffee is hot...so what are you carving???