Carving The Dark Wizard (part 1)

This first photo is my basic idea for The Dark Wizard, a companion piece to an ongoing project. Step one is putting pencil to a piece of wood. I'll post updates as the figure progresses.





Last year I carved some toys for my best friend's son, a group of soldiers and knights I dubbed "Ezra's Army." I based the design for these little guys on the Lewis Chessmen, a design I admire both for it's history and it's robust form. I wonder if those medieval chesspiece carvers had "childproof" in mind?



Last Christmas saw six soldiers form the core of this tiny army, and The Blue Wizard enlisted on Ezra's first birthday. I'm considering adding a dragon to the mix...


Also, I'd like to thank Albert Rasch for mentioning me in a recent blog post! I really enjoy his writing, and strongly recommend The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles. Do yourself a favor and give it a look!

Blue Hat Santa

I like seeing the color blue in Christmas ornaments. The usual greens and reds are fine, but blue is a great change of pace. This Santa wears a blue hat with a white ball on the end, and no white brim. I'm really getting into carving these wooden eggs!

Update: Christmas ornaments

My first Santa ornament is done, as is the first Cabin-in-the-woods ornament for this year. I finished the Santa with linseed oil, acrylic paint, and some clear spray finish. The Cabin ornament is left more natural, with only a little paint and some clear coat on the trees and snow.

A brass eyelet is screwed into the ornaments' tops, where I'll eventually tie some ribbon to hang them by. Both are carved from wooden hobby eggs.







I have a few more of these on deck for Christmastime, as well as some other ornaments and hand-carved gifts. I'll make sure to post more pics when I can. Thanks for stopping by!

Retired Navy vet carves the Declaration of Independence over the course of 10 years

Charlie Kested of Johnstown, NY, an 81-year-old US Navy veteran, used his scroll saw to cut this beautiful representation of The Declaration of Independence. The detail and accuracy are amazing.



God bless America, and many thanks to all our veterans!

Woodspirit Walking Stick

The woodspirit walking stick project is finished! I gave it a few coats of stain, a urethane clear coat to protect it, and a combination spike/rubber foot on the bottom. It is now ready for on- or off-road adventure.







This was a fun one to carve, and a learning experience as well.

Christmas Tree Cookie

Here's the Christmas tree cookie ornament all carved, sanded, and painted. I soaked it in linseed oil, then used an acrylic wash so the wood grain can show through.

Work in Progress: Christmas Tree Cookie

I'm working on a series of Christmas cookie carvings in time for the holidays. The first one up is a tree: