Small Woodspirit - WIP
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 9:49AM 
Hello Gang, hope ya"ll had a good weekend and got to carve some. I will start the next Video this week some time. It will be the "Fancy Woodspirit", the pictures below are examples of what we will carve in the Video.
I went to Matt's last night and started a new woodspirit. I am using my new style again, but this is a small woodspirit. He will probably be a pin. The picture below shows the three latest Woodspirits I have carved. I use them to show the scale of this small spirit. 1-1/4"x3".
The picture also demonstrates how you can scale down, (or) scale up a carving. Sometimes you might want to try that on your projects, it's fun! In fact I am thinking about doing one even smaller in bone, or walnut or cherry. Also I am thinking about doing one larger, say10"x 24" or so.
This is all a part of growing and learning as a carver. Trying new ways of working, new methods, new features to your carvings!
I encourage ya"ll to experiment, don't be afraid to fail! Just try out your ideas, if it doesn't work, so what! The olny way you will ever find your nitch, your style is to try different things! Your carvings don't have to look like mine or anyone else's.
I don't claim to be the most creative person around, but when I mess around and try out things, it stimulates the creativity that I do have. As ya"ll know, I don't use patterns and the fun in carving for me is to just start carving and let the piece flow and see what I come up with.
I encourage ya"ll to try that, keep your mind open to changing things as you go. Look for the flow of the wood, if you are using driftwood or look at you piece of basswood and see what you might try, to change the look of your carving. These days I am trying to carve better detail, to add more flow and more depth to my carvings.
I have my own style now, but it is a mixture of what I have learned from others, my own observations of faces and carvings of faces I have seen. But I also think that our styles should always be evolving and growing. That keeps our art fresh and helps keep us motivated to grow and learn more!
I challenge all of ya'll to try something new, that you come up with! If you do I would love to see pictures of what you come up with!
What are you thoughts on this subject? What do you do to challange yourself and your art? Please comment or email your thoughts and experiances on this subject!
PS. Thanks again to all who have supported this Site by buying Videos or donating to the Tip Jar! Also there are still spaces for the class I will teach at the Southeastern School of Woodcarivng in July!
Ya'll come carve with us!
GaryMc
