My Chook

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Well, we call them chooks here in Aus, although he is meant to be a rooster but ended up looking more like a homely hen. I drew up the pattern from various pictures of chickens found on the internet and fashioned him firstly from plasticene so I could visualise him from all angles. The carving is done from huon pine, and this piece was particulary hard and close grained,although often huon can be like butter to carve but you have to be careful as it is easy to catch the grain in the wrong direction where a chunk will lift or leave a very rough patch underneath. It will finish beautifully with a good sanding.

I spent a lot of time creating the feathered look and making sure the finish was clean. Because huon is a pale, yellowy wood I decided a bit of colour was necessary so I used tan shoe polish. Because shoe polish is wax based it gives a good finish whilst adding colour, with the cuts absorbing more polish and giving it highlights. It ended up with an extra coating as I inadvertently left it in my jeans pocket and it was well washed and a little paler after the experience, but it survived and was restored to its former glory. It measures about 25mm x 40mm (1″x1.5″)

chicken 37 chicken 33

The Cancerian Crab

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I spent many hours creating the crab whilst sitting in a doctor’s waiting room for many visits after my son had had an eye accident. I don’t know what it is about ophthalmologists but some of them do like to keep you waiting. I worked for one some years ago and he was notorious for keeping people waiting up to 4 hours!! We did stop making excuses for him though hoping he would ‘cop the flack’ but they inevitably would come out smiling and thanking him profusely. It helped with the overtime though.
My son, I might add is now an adult with a family, which probably gives an indication of how long my project has been on the go!P1040956

Embroidery by the Stars

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My very long term project is my embroidered tablecloth, still not finished and won’t be for some time I can assure you. I ‘borrowed’ the pictures from an astrology book that I bought deep into the last century when I was more into reading the stars whilst waiting for my white charger to come around the corner with that dashing prince. My enthusiam of stargazing has waned over the years, probably because white steeds are not commonly ridden by aged, yet handsome and personable retired gentlemen.  However, the project once started has not been abandoned, although at times it has been put aside whilst other activities have taken over. It also requires extremely good lighting to discerne the subtelty of the colours and to ply the needle, and dare I say it, to be able to even thread the needle(s).

The tablecloth is circular and I have divided it into twelve segments with embroidery stitches. Now some of my stitches are traditional but I have also made some up to ‘fit the design’. I use standard embroidery threads and have collected a great variety over the years, DMC, Anchor, Sullivans, Semco some of which are no longer available, and am sure I have every conversion chart I can find! I use only two strands or one, anything else is too heavy and I try to make them look as close to my pictures as possible. I was surprised today when I went into a local Spotlight and found they had only one brand on sale, normally they have carried three brands, DMC, Sullivans and Anchor, so I hope it is only this store; and I discovered there are two DMC whites – Blanc and 5200, one being much brighter, and dare I say it, whiter, than the other. Perhaps I have never seen them displayed side by side before.

This is Taurus:Taurus

The Fish

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The fish was my first attempt at Netsuke (from the Japanese ne+tsuke ‘root’ + ‘to attach’) which are miniature sculptures invented in 17th-centuryJapan to serve a practical function. Traditional Japanese garments had no pockets so men who wore them needed a place to store their personal belongings, such as pipes, tobacco, money, seals, or medicines.Their solution was to place such objects in containers (sagemono) hung by cords from the sash (obi). The containers may have been pouches or small woven baskets, but the most popular were beautifully crafted boxes (inro) which were held shut by sliding beads on cords (ojime). Whatever the form of the container, the fastener that secured the cord at the top of the sash was a carved, button-like toggle called a netsuke. I had seen one of these made from bone, however mine is made from white beech and I have also carved designs on each side in the centre of the fish.
The wood has been rubbed with very finely ground coffee beans to give it a slight  colouration but also to enhance the scales. Swedish kolrossing uses this technique.
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Netsuke – white beech

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My Art, My Carving

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My birdsTwo of my recent Comfort Birds, made from Black Hearted Sassafras and Tasmanian Blackwood. A small project I was introduced to by Brian Weatherburn whilst visiting Ipswich, Qld Woodcrafts Group. These small birds are highly finished and are made to hold in the palm of your hand. They are very tactile and soothing. I think the original pictures from this were published in the American Woodcarving Illustrated.

I have been carving wood for about 18 years now since I went to the Timber andWorking with Wood show and saw the amazing sculptures, pictures and objects that can be fashioned from this beautiful resource. I joined the Sydney Woodcarving Group and enjoy my association with them. These days I travel quite a lot so restrict my carving to mostly small pieces so I can carry all my paraphenalia with me including small gouges, knives, sharpening stone and strop, sketchbook and always graph paper – good for re-sizing pictures, and my trusty cordless Dremel when I need to do a lot of sanding.

Woodcarving is practised by only a few people in Australia and although you will find plenty of wood turners you will not find too many folk who carve wood. Carving a piece of wood takes time and patience, especially in the final stages when you have to get your carving ‘finished’ , either by sanding or deft tool strokes, but the satisfaction when a piece is finished is wonderful.