Good Woodcarving Website

I found this website and posted a few pics there. Check it out. There are a lot of current entries in the forums about wood carving.

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/9680/cat/516/limit/recent

Cane Making

If you need a cane why not use one with a strong and majestic feel to it?

This Lion Head cane has noble look to it.

Cane making is fun and it gives you a good feeling knowing that it will be used to help someone in need. If you scroll down the page you will see how I make the canes from the finished cane you see above to the begining of the process.

Here it is:

I usually sand it and recoat it with minwax clear acrylic finish. I let it dry overnight then resand it and recoat it in the finishing process, at least three times.

This is a handle I am working on that is more of a stylized piece. I didn't carve any animal faces into it.

I use this draw knife to shave the bark and cambium layer off the stick. Then I make sure it is tapered down to a narrow tip, small enough at the bottom to fit into a rubber cap. This is an old draw knife i picked up at a garage sale for 3.00. My dad helped me sharpen it on a grinder, and now it is razor sharp! Good old carbon steel.

I rough cut the handle shape on a band saw before attaching it to the cane shaft. Then I draw an animal on the front and carve it into the handle.

After an hour the cane and handle are set up pretty good. The joint is very strong and still the same diameter as the cane. I can begin carving the handle now.

Now that the rod is set up good, I glue it to the handle making sure there is epoxy on all the inside edges of the joint. I twist the stick into the handle so that the aluminum tube is completely hidden inside the joint. This is all done before gluing to make sure everything fits snug. Sometimes I have to do some sanding to get a good, tight joint.

The steel rod has been glued into place. I will let it set up for an hour to make sure it is good and secure.

I drilled out the center and will add a steel, 1/4" rod for extra strength in the joint.

I have inserted the shaft of aluminum into the handle and am ready to glue it to the cane with some 30 min epoxy. I used an old tent pole for the reinforcing shaft. It is 5 inches in length and the diameter is 1". This creates a really strong joint.

Thi is the handle with the hole cut into it. I used black walnut for the handle. It carves nice and clean and leaves a beautiful finish.

This is the hole after using the hole cutter. The outside edge will be this but remains strong after assembling the cand, aluminum shaft and handle with another hole cut.

I use a craftsman 1" hole cutter to make a cut into the cane shaft. This cutter makes a nice clean space for the aluminum reinforcement tube that I will add later on. The cane needs to light weight yet strong, especially where a force will be pressed on the handle.

Feather Patterns and Flow Lines

In this picture you can see where I have penciled in the feather flow lines. This helps give the carving a more natual look when the feathers are carved in.

The Snow Owl Before Painting

This is where the fun begins. Every time I add paint to a piece it really begins to come alive. I have to be careful not to add too much paint, it is a series of many light washes. I will go into more detail on my painting post.

More Pics of the Snow Owl

Sanding down the shaft before painting with clear varnish.

Adding in details on the feather edges with a mix of raw umber and burnt sienna acrylics.

I used resin here to simulate ice dripping from a branch. The snow is made from rsin and cotton fibers. The trick is to get it where you want before the resin sets up.

I found the branch that the owl is mounted on while I was trout fishing in Owego, NY. I often find some really interesting pieces of wood along the stream.

Black Duck On Indian Lake

I took this shot while Kayaking. The day was hot, in the 80's and the ducks were in the shade of the reeds.

Kayaking in the Adirondack Mountains

I was able to take some great pics of Black Ducks and Loons while kayaking with my son.

European Museum Of Art

My sister Mary and John Zavrel, (right) are the co directors of the Buffalo NY European Museum of Art. They invited me to display my snow owl at the museum.

Mary's Art Blog

http://www.marymcandrew.com/index.htm

New York State Fair

In 2003 I presented a demonstration on carving walking sticks and canes at the NYS Fair. They had a Wildlife Art Show that I entered my snow owl in. It was a lot of fun and gave me a chance to meet a lot of people who interested in carving and wildlife. Here is a link to the website.
http://www.birdart.com/nysfairpages/nysfairwildlife.htm

Empire State Carousel

In 1995 my father and I were asked to carve a scenery panel for the Empire State Carousel. We were given the challenge to come up with some scenes that represented the Southern Tier of NYS, our home town. Gerry Holzman, project founder and organizer, sent us a 3'x4' wood frame. We drew our scenes and carved them into the wood. I did Mark Twain famed author and resident of Elmira NY, my father and brother Chris carved an Iroquois Indian, and Roger Westgate, renowned woodcarver from Candor, NY carved oak leaves and acorns around the corners.