The Lineup

I took a group photo of six newcommers to the carving game.  They all turned out really nice.

These knives were fun to make and turned out terrific.  The woods are plumb, cherry, wormy plumb, and peach.  A nice assortment for a variety of tasks.  Stop by the Knife Gallery page to view some more photos of each with a full description, or to purchase your favorite.

Study Stick Tutorial - The Mouth

Well, after taking an extended vacation from the Study Stick Tutorial, I finally found the inspiration to finish the second part in the series.  Part two covers the steps of how to carve a simple mouth.  I believe that if even the greenest of carvers will follow the step by step instructions of this tutorial, he/she will be able to understand the complexities of two of the most difficult facial features to master, the nose and the mouth.  So, go out to your shop and get yourself a block of wood and let's make some chips.

Any and all feedback from this tutorial is both welcome and ecouraged.

Black Bart

Here's a sneak peek at my current carving endeavor.  He's a scowling old cowpoke that still needs his hat.  I plan on keeping the colors very dark to give him a mean look.  He should be a great looking little bust when he's all finished up.

I've had a recent run on my knives which has depleted my inventory, but fear not!  I currently have half a dozen under construction right now that should be ready by this weekend, so check back soon if you're in the market.

Man, I need a new camera!!!  To show how off the colors are in this photo, the background is supposed to be blue.  Oh well, maybe Santa will come through this year.  Well, I'm off to carve Bart's hat.  There are a few more photos in the Carving Bench page is you would like to take a better look.

A Knight to Remember

This fun little carving took me forever to finish.  I started him back in March and set him aside for most of the summer.  I finally got the inspiration to finish him and I think he turned pretty darn good if I do say so myself, and I guess I just did.  I'm really pleased with how the chain mail and the helmet turned out.  I believe it's the little extra details that truly take a carving up a notch.  I considered painting some kind of design on the shield and the armor, but I liked the plain, shiny armor look.  Whatever quest he's been given, I'm sure he's up to the challenge.

There are many more photos on the Picture Gallery page.  Stop in for a look.

Utah Valley Wood Sculpture Show

What a wonderful show!  I don't remember when I've had a better time.  The folks in Provo, Utah really know how to put on a terrific event.  It was the first carving show I have ever entered, and I ended up doing pretty well.  I entered five pieces in the show and won three first place ribbons, two second place ribbons, two best of division ribbons, and several other awards as well.  I guess the judges liked my pieces.  Here are some pics of my carvings with their bling:

"Supper on the Range"

"The Sorcerer"

"Practical Jokes"

"Smokin' Leather"

"I Should've Knowed To Bring My Own Horse"

I truly enjoyed myself.  Hats off to the Utah Valley Carving Club for a terrific Show.

Technical Problems

Sometimes, I really hate computers!  I have no idea what caused the problem, but my entire Knife Gallery page died on me.  All of my "Add to Cart" buttons stopped working and it took me all afternoon to get them up and running again.  I did take the time to update the look of the page, so I guess I took a lemon and made some lemonade.  I think it looks a lot better, stop by and take a look.

I have the Knight that I have been working all practically all summer painted and waiting on a suitable base.  I hope to spend some time on it this evening, and maybe get him finished up before I go to the Utah Valley Sculpture In Wood show.  Check back soon.

Fixed the Problem

It was brought to my attention that on my Knife Gallery and Picture Gallery pages, clicking on some of the photographs did not take you to the album containing multiple pictures of that piece.  It should be all fixed now, so click away!!!  If there are still problems, please let me know and I will take care of it.

BrandantR