Kelpie Blues

[Whittling]

G'day all... just a little project I though some might be interested in. I had a commission for a kelpie dog head on a plinth. I specifically asked if it was to be painted and was told 'No'. When I delivered it they changed their minds and asked that it be painted after all. By this time of course, it was secured to the plinth and had been oiled. I was most uncertain of how to proceed knowing it wouldn't take much to completely stuff it all up!

I ended up carving a number of blocks of Jelutong (the same wood I used for the kelpie) into abstract shapes, detailing the surface similar to the kelpie 'hair' and oiling them. I left them for a week and then tried a variety of painting techniques on them to see which if any would work. (I don't have much experience with painting and was nervous...)

In the end I think it came out ok. Customer was happy... even paid me a bit extra for the trouble. All's well as ends well....

[JJF]

very good job

[artme]

Yep! Well Done!!

[springwater]

It's certainly got that Kelpie super aware gaze, wonderful jog again Whittling. Where's it going to be put do you know? Where do you find people that ask questions like can you carve a Kelpie on a plinth?

[Whittling]

Where do you find people that ask questions like can you carve a Kelpie on a plinth?

Hi Springy,
Don't know where she is going to put it... I assume somewhere in her office or home. She breeds kelpies which is why she wanted it I suppose. I met her at a country fair where I was showing/selling some of my work. She just came up and asked.

Its not that unusual. I've had quite a few commission from people that way. They see a display of my stuff but don't see exactly what they want so they ask... "Can you carve (whatever)?" We have a chat, come to a price and then I have to go away and figure out how to get out of the mess my big mouth just put me in! I think I must have some sort of need to please people, or maybe its a need for acceptance? Pathetic, I know, but it often pushes me out of my comfort zone.. which is not always a bad thing in the end.

[A Duke]

Very nice, but can't help thinking two would make fabulous book ends.
Regards

[springwater]

I think I must have some sort of need to please people, or maybe its a need for acceptance? Pathetic, I know, but it often pushes me out of my comfort zone.. which is not always a bad thing in the end.

I know and recognise that feeling, i's a philosophical viewpoint which doesn't always result in great monetary wealth (thinking more hardly ever ) IMHO it's not pathetic at all Whittling

[Whittling]

Very nice, but can't help thinking two would make fabulous book ends.
Regards

I wouldn't have minded making two... but she only paid for one!

[Robson Valley]

Maybe Kelpie "Blues" but I've got the "greens" of envy. Not only does it have the 'look,' but the bilateral/leftside-rightside symmetry is superb. The finish looks good, too.

I feel that I'm being meticulous and careful to the point of being stupid about it but my carvings are always lop-sided. A few times, I've attempted corrections with disastrous results. Measure and measure and measure again. . . still turn out lumpy. I can cut templates, drill (hidden) index holes right through from one side to the other. Nope, still not right.

Great piece.

[Whittling]

Thanks RV. I have to admit to being much more comfortable with caricature human faces than I am with animal 'true-to-life'. There's so much more 'elbow room' with caricature. You can get things out of proportion and, as long as its not too far out, the finished results still work. Not so with true-to-life. In this case I think I got the snout just a little too pointed. One day I'll have another go... when I get out from under the backlog of other stuff.

On the point of symetry though... even real faces aren't symetrical in most cases. I find that if one tries as hard as one can to achieve it (something almost impossible in my experience) then the result is usually close enough to pass as 'realistic'.

[Robson Valley]

If you can find my old threads : The Animal Family Project and The Raven Project, they all look OK while you're running past them.
I like to carve stylized things, I don't need useless critiques from noncarvers about what's a realistic appearance or not. I've done some literal pieces but they don't allow my imagination to run free.
At the same time the stylized pieces are supposed to have a rigid and precise left/right symmetry. That's how they get done. I know it can be done, I've seen it, like your Kelpie. Like a 25m totem pole.

I have yet to figure out how I can do that. . . major achievement.

[rocfish13]

Real fine job for sure!!