Thread: Last of the 2012 stick designs

They are beautiful. Love the 3rd one.

This next one was a bit different in that the customer came to me with a favorite bit of wood and asked if I would carve a 'wizard face' in it. It was so rotten in places and cracked, that I wasn't sure I could do anything with it and said so, but he was insistent and said he wouldn't blame me if it fell apart, so I agreed to try. It was a bit of a challenge. The carving was straight forward, but fitting it in around all the insect damage, splits and rot was difficult to say the least. I got this far and had to stop as the whole face of the wizard was in danger of falling off if I cut any deeper. I couldn't really sand it as it was too rough, so I gave it quite a few coats of shellac and hoped for the best. It didn't come out to badly as an 'art' piece but it can't be used as a stick. Customer was happy which I suppose is the main thing. Not sure what the wood was... some eucalypt I think, possibly an acacia.



Finally, a new twist on an old design... I've been making 'River Boat Capt'n's for some time now but only recently started playing around with different colored shellacs as sanding sealers. I heard that it was possible to tint 'blonde' shellac with house paint tints so I tried a few drops of blue concentrate and got what looked like a nice blue wash colour. I decided to give my 'Capt'n' a blue hat and coat. What I didn't realise was that the yellowish tone of the jelutong wood would influence things. Covered with a blue wash, it resulted in a greenish teal colour. Live and learn. The carving is jelutong (pipe was Jarrah), the spacers are Jarrah, huon Pine and red gum and the shaft is Oak. He currently resides in the Bungendore Woodwork Gallery with 9 other assorted 'mates'.


That's it for 2012. Questions, comments and criticism welcome.

2013 is piling up already!

Thanks Wongo,

As it happens the client is a woman who works in central Australia in one of the large mining projects there. She works as a cook for two weeks and then has two weeks off in which she travels around in her caravan. The company flies her in and out of the remote mine site (about 3 days hard driving from anywhere), so she doesn't have to spend her two weeks off either in isolation or driving back and forth from the mine to civilization. She parks her caravan at the airport to go to work and gets in and tours around the coast when off work. Not a bad life style if you're happy with your own company.

Wonderful work again Doug, love them all, especially the one that nearly got away, well done for perservering

Thanks Springy. I've been following your flag posts with interest. Saving my comments for the finished article.

They are really great Whittling!!brava

If i were you I would stick ith that hobby!

I do like all of those. My tastes turn to those with the shallow relief carvings, particularly the gecko on malley.
The little beast really does seem to cling to the stick.

Lovely work, I might have to go for a walk over to the gallery and check them out in person. I've looked at the canes before but not really paid attention

Nice work.

I've always admired your work with the walking sticks Whittling and once again you have produced some great unique pieces.
I particularly like the dragon fly stick.

They are all really lovely Whittling.

Next time I'm in town I will have a look, it will be a privilege to see your beautiful work in real.

Thanks Artme. I 'stick' to the sticks because its all that the public seem to want. I do a lot of small carved novelties but the 'per-hour' rate of remuneration is very small. I'd like to try some larger stuff but I remember something Underwood posted a while back... that artists that carve a lot of sculpture on 'spec' end up with their own gardens full of it. I'm trying other stuff though. I'll post some in the next few weeks.

Hi RV. Perhaps you can clarify something for me regarding what is regarded as relief carving and what is not. In the cases I posted I regard the dragon flies and the wheat to be relief carving because it makes sense when viewed face on, but when viewed from the side the 'illusion' becomes obvious. The gecko on the other hand is correctly proportioned regardless of which angle one views it. It has true to life depth to it. My question is... is this kind of carving still classed as 'relief' carving or does it have another category?

Thanks Copeau and Featherwood. I think I was a bit ambitious when I said the Capt'n was at Bungendore Gallery. I got an email this afternoon informing me that he and his 'mates' had only just turned up. I think the courier must have pushed his truck to NSW cause they went out just after Christmas. Oh well... they should be there by now.

I'd value your opinion of them.

BTW Featherwood... my wife was thrilled with the eagle and it now holds pride of place on a high shelf in the lounge room (fitting as it suits his majestic presence and incidentally puts him out of reach of the grand kids)