Anotherworld aussie hardwood carvings

[DsArt]

MMMM now thats anotherworld faaantastic .i can relate to how your`ve found that elusive whatever that exists in a raw piece of timber ,ah BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER great work .one thing to see, it`s another to find and reveal,absolutly magic work terry: one thing though while you were carvin these how did ya get time to go fishin danny

[TTIT]

Extraordinary work - love it ? Wonder what it would be classified as ??? Gargoyle surrealism. ???

You should come out this way and study some of the roadkill for a while - I reckon it would make great material for stump/driftwood art

[bench1holio]

very cool

[Whittling]

Loved your stuff Terry,

I've done a little 'found wood' carving myself but you've taken this to a whole level I've NEVER been! Congrats.

I'm sure there's a market for your work if you run out of shelves to store it at home

Look forward to seeing more.

[R3R]

love the carvings! Terry

art and wood DO belong together !!

[anotherworld]

Great to see someone else dragging stumps home to play with. I have just started to teach myself chainsaw carving and have a couple sold already. Like your work.When i also get my camera going i will post some photo's.

thanks Tugga,would love to see your work!!!! Where did you sell them & did you get good prices? (mind you, do the $$ balance out the blood,sweat & time put in to these carvings? - probably not) . Now dont have a heavy night before you pick up your chainsaw!!!!!!!!

Happy Carving,
Terry

[anotherworld]

one thing though while you were carvin these how did ya get time to go fishin danny

With a very supportive missus and two great kids- they help out with most of the other parts of life

[anotherworld]

Great to see someone else dragging stumps home to play with. I have just started to teach myself chainsaw carving and have a couple sold already. Like your work.When i also get my camera going i will post some photo's.

Thanks for comments would love to se your work terry anotherworld

[anotherworld]

Great work Terry. I think your carving and imagination is just terrific.
They should be in a gallery somewhere.

Regards
Terry

Thanks mate my wife an daughters think the same ,im not so sure Cheers Terry

[Whittling]

thanks Tugga,would love to see your work!!!! Where did you sell them & did you get good prices? (mind you, do the $$ balance out the blood,sweat & time put in to these carvings? - probably not) . Now dont have a heavy night before you pick up your chainsaw!!!!!!!!

Happy Carving,
Terry

Have to agree that carving work doesn't really pay as a job unless you're really REALLY dedicated and are willing to work unbelieveable hours not only carving but marketing your stuff until you build a 'FOLLOWING'. Hardly ever happens. Certainly hasn't with me! (

On the other hand, it can be a lucrative HOBBY, if you are willing to work for about $10 per hour. You have to come up with a range of designs or concepts that you can do in about 3 hours or less if you want to sell them in markets and craft fairs as I find $30 is about the limit people will spend impulsively.

From my experience there are three ways to sell more upmarket stuff you've carved on speculation:

1. Sell a bunch of smaller lines at a market REGULARLY while displaying the more up-market stuff along with your smaller lines. After a while (2 - 3 years in my case) people get to know you and will remember those up-market lines when they are thinking of a special gift etc. It becomes a considered purchase... not just an impulse buy, even though you are working in an impulse buying environment (market).

2. Find an environment in which people are already thinking about spending more $. Galleries and specialised shows like the 'Working With Wood' shows are good places to sell more up-market stuff, but even then, I find I'm still working for about $10 per hour. Also be aware of their mark-ups and factor that into your pricing structure. What might sell at your price is sometimes priced out of the market by the time the galleries have added their cut.

3. Commissions come along regularly once your name is out there. If people really like and want your work they will pay you what you ask for it, but again between $10 and $20 dollars per hour seems to be the limit in my experience.

There may be a fourth way... the internet, but I have no experience with that one. Perhaps some of the other guys can advise?

Finally, you can improve your margins if you learn to do it faster, but this usually means doing the same thing over and over and that can loose its appeal for the artist very quickly.

There are two things the guy who taught me used to say and I've found them very true.

"First get good... then get fast" and " Make up your mind about why you are carving... for money or for love because you'll rarely do both".

[underfoot]

geez Whittling, very comprehensive observations,
I agree with most comments and not so sure about others,
but reckon this subject worthy of a whole new thread.

[Whittling]

Sorry mate, Didn't mean to be so long winded.

Just that Terry wanted to know about selling his stuff and I know I would have appreciated some of the info when I started instead of having to learn it the hard way.

Still, everyone to his own I guess...

Bottom line for me is... as long as its still fun, I'll keep doing it! (and you can apply that to anything you like.

[Frank&Earnest]

geez Whittling, very comprehensive observations,
I agree with most comments and not so sure about others,
but reckon this subject worthy of a whole new thread.

Excellent idea, fire away! If I remember correctly, you were a bit coy about prices though...

[SPIRIT]

:d

excellent idea, fire away! If i remember correctly, you were a bit coy about prices though...:d

:d

[Iggy]

Do what pleases you, the problem with working at a hobby is the moment you stop enjoying the work youve lost your hobby. I sold quite a bit of ceramic sculpture and it ended with most people seeing earlier works and wanting something similar. I ended up as a process line and hated it.