Happy New Year from Red Oak, White Cedar 

and Eastern Pine!

And here's a couple of Knotty Eastern white pines!

I am remiss in sharing my work. So here they are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you smile and enjoy!

I'm still here...

Well, it has been some time since I've posted here. I am still carving, and I am still carving Whittlebears. It seems that is all I am consistent at carving. I dabble here and there--sometimes a Little Guy, started a caricature, maybe a pin, ornaments for a swap. But I usually have a bear I started or I see a piece of scrap wood, and I see a bear in it. I pick it up, trace the pattern that fits, and start carving. It usually takes me a total of 3 hours or so to carve a bear. I rarely finish one in a single sitting. In fact it usually goes in stages. First, I carve up to the pattern line I traced. Then I start carving in the front. Then I carve the back. Then I carve in the features of the face--the mouth, the nose and then the ears. Then It sits on the bench until I get too many bears or I get in the mood to paint the eyes and the heart. The painting doesn't take all that much to do. It's just I'd rather do a bunch and only have to clean the brush once after the black, and once after the red.

Since the beginning of the Pandemic, I've had a new focus with carving the bears. My wife sews, and she began sewing masks for friends. Her sister's best friend is a nurse up in Massachusetts. So, Michelle sent a bunch of masks up to her. I have a shoe box where I keep my bears after I finish them.

I leave them ready to become pins, ornaments, magnets--whatever is needed. I asked Michelle to send some bears up with the masks. So, 50 or so Whittlebear pins went to the nurses and staff.

Cindy wrote back saying they love them and asked if we could send more. I had another 20 or so left and I carved up another 15 or so. 35 more bears went up to some hard working nurses and hospital staff. Cindy thanked us and said that everyone appreciated the thoughts and cheering up the bears brought them.

So, I've been carving more bears as I get time. I enjoy carving them. They give me peace, and a time and place where I can step out of the world and focus just on carving a bear. I'm sure I will amass a collection of bears and they will go to homes one by one. In fact there are 6 bears sitting on my desk right now waiting for paint. And another 2 in various stages of carving.

So, I hope everyone is well and bearing up these days. I know I am--with a little help from my friends.

Merry Christmas Everyone!! As always I'm busy with Whittlebears and things.

Here are a few pics to see of my works in progress.

A bunch of Whittlebears in various stages of completion.

A 5" long by 1" in diameter spiral ornament in poplar still being hollowed out.

A 2 3/4" tall by 1 3/4" wide snow man pin in pine waiting for paint.

Here's a 4 1/4" long by 1 5/8" high Comfort Bird carved in pine waiting for a eye and strap to hang him on the tree.

Siamese Whittlebears

This is carved from a corner of a Clementine box. I think it's a pine of some sort. It's 4" tall by 1 1/4" wide by 5/8" deep. Still not sure if I will separate them.

Maybe this is what I'll do with all them Clementine box corners I have.

Patriotic Ribbon Pin

I carved this 2 1/4 inch wide by 2 1/4 inch high red white and blue ribbon bow from pine, painted it with acrylics and sprayed it with several coats of matte Krylon.

I borrowed an idea from my wife and carved an Easter Bunny pin. She crochets bunnies from her own pattern using yarn leftover from her other projects. She glues on a tail, a nose, and a bow, and then gives them away to friends and family.

So, I carved one for her from basswood. It's 3 1/4" tall and 1 3/8" wide. I painted the ears, eye, nose and tail with acrylic paints and sealed the pin, with several coats of spray on Krylon Matte finish.

She loved it!

Happy Easter!

How I attach pinbacks to my carved pins...

Since I've started making pins, I've been using 5 minute epoxy buttered on the back of the pinback and I apply that to the back of the pin. I cut a gouge to allow the epoxy to make direct contact to the wood. No pressure, no clamps. Just make sure the epoxy oozes through the holes on the pinback. Then I let it sit overnight.

I've had pins break but never had the pin come off the wood yet.

Summer 2013 Starfish

A 2" tall by 4" Starfish pin carved for my wife, Michelle, from basswood and painted in acrylic paints and sprayed with Krylon Gloss Finish.

Some woodcarvings I've done since January:

A 3 5/8" tall by 1 1/2" wide celtic spoon carved for my wife, Michelle, from pine and coated with semi-gloss Minwax Polyacrylic.

A 2 7/8" tall by 2 7/8" wide heart shaped chip carving pin carved for my wife, Michelle, from basswood and coated with semi-gloss Minwax Polyacrylic.

A 3 1/2" tall by 2 1/4" wide egg shaped chip carving pin carved for a customer's request from basswood and coated with satin Minwax Polyacrylic.

An 3 inch diameter earth day face pin carved for my wife, Michelle, from basswood and painted in acrylic paints and coated with semi-gloss Minwax Polyacrylic.

A 3 inch tall by 2 1/2 wide by 1 1/2 " deep sitting Whittlebear carved for my wife, Michelle, from pine and highlighted with acrylic paints and coated with semi-gloss Minwax Polyacrylic.

A 3 inch tall by 2 1/2" wide Liberty Bell pin carved for my wife, Michelle, from basswood and painted in acrylic paints and sprayed with Krylon Matte Finish.

A 3 1/2" tall by 1 1/4" German Nutcracker pin carved for my wife, Michelle, from basswood and painted in acrylic paints and sprayed with Krylon Matte Finish.

Summary of 2012 Carvings

It's been a while since I posted to my blog. So, I thought I'd start with a summary of some of the carvings I did during 2012.

The shamrock pin is a 1/2" deep x 1 3/4" wide x 2 3/4"tall deep relief carved in basswood painted and highlights dry brushed with acrylic paints and sprayed with clear hi-gloss lacquer.

The St. Bridget's cross pin is 2 1/2" square carved in basswood, and brushed with clear Minwax Wipe-on Poly satin and Johnson's paste wax.

The American Spirit pin is about 3 3/4" tall and 1" wide carved in basswood painted with acrylic paints and sprayed with Krylon matte finish.

The Happy Spirit ornament is about 3 3/4" tall and 1 1/4" wide carved in cedar and brushed with clear Minwax Wipe-on Poly satin and Johnson's paste wax.

The Easter Egg pin is 3 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/4 inches wide carved in basswood and finished with 2 coats of satin finish polyurethane.

The Dala horses are 5 inches square carved in pine and painted by my wife, Michelle, with acrylic paints, and finished with satin finish polyurethane

Holiday Spirits!

Here is a photo of Holiday Spirits I carved for the WCI ornament exchange.

Patriotic Sunflower

A belated Happy 4th of July everyone!

Here's a pic of a Patriotic Sunflower pin I carved for my wife, Michelle. She loves sunflowers and celebrating holidays--especially Patriotic ones.

The sunflower is about 3 inches in diameter, carved in basswood and painted with red white and blue acrylic paints. The stars are handpainted with a 5/0 brush.

Just as an afterthought, I was browsing through photos, and I saw this one. It immediately reminded me of something you'd see leading up to the grand finale of fireworks. How cool would that be if Grucci or one of their competitors actually came up with an exploding Patriotic Sunflower--red, white and blue and stars and all!
 

Hope you enjoyed the pics and the holiday!

Chipped Carved Quilt Square for Charity

As a member of Fox Chapel Publishing's message board, Woodcarving Illustrated, I carved a 4" x 4" square chipped carved star. It will be joined into one of several Charity Quilts to be auctioned off to benefit Japan relief.

My quilt square is carved in basswood. It is a half inch thick with a 1/4" raised chip carved star containing stars. I left it natural and finished it with several coats of high gloss lacquer.

Here's a link to the Charity Quilt to Benefit Japan Relief web page:
http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/features/charity-quilt-to-benefit-japan-relief.html

A Chick's Easter egg

My wife, Michelle asked me to carve a pin of a chick hatching from an Easter egg.

 

The pin is relief carved from basswood. It's 3 1/2 inches tall, 2 1/2 inches wide and 3/8 inch thick. I painted it with acrylic paints and finished it with high gloss lacquer spray.

She thought it was cool. Me too.

Enjoy!

A Pink Alligator in NJ?!?!?

I was asked if I could carve a alligator caricature based on a "squeak toy" that's sitting on my bench. So I did! It's basswood, and painted with acrylics and finished with satin poly. It is 2 3/8 inches long, 1 1/8 inches high and 2 inches wide.

She received it last week and she loved it.