End of the Year carvings

     As we come to the end of the 2017 year, I look back and can truly say it has been a good year. Enjoying the new house, getting a new position at the high school, teaching carving classes, taking a few trips with my wife (Spokane, Washington; Coeur d' Alene, Idaho; Kennewick, Washington) and having some great family times; all of these have combined to give us a good year. We look forward to 2018 and another great year. Now if only we could win the lottery and retire in style. We are both ready to retire, but just can't yet. Soon, we hope.

     Anyway, here are a few carvings I have finished lately. Some were for classes at Woodcraft, some were for customers, and others were for giveaways. I hope you enjoy these pictures.

     These penguins were for a class, and for sale. They were a lot of fun. The one on the right is one I am doing for a carving video series on YouTube. Just look for my channel (Eric Owens Carving).

     This penguin was for my daughter. She really enjoys penguins, so I ordered a penguin roughout from Moore's Roughouts (www.roughouts.com). It was really nice wood to carve and enjoyable to finish.

This viking was from an old roughout I was given. I was told it is a Dave Stetson roughout, but I can find no example of that on Dave's site or on any Google or Pinterest search. If anyone has any more information on a roughout like this, feel free to let me know. I like to give credit where it is due, so I would love to have the chance to promote their product.

Thanks for looking.

Lesson 3

Here is the link for Lesson 3 on Carving a Caricature Penguin:

https://youtu.be/C_nMjnvMlRM

I hope you enjoy it.

Caricature penguin carving pattern

Here is the pattern for my penguin caricature carving. I carved it from a block of wood that was 2 inches wide x 2 inches deep x 5 inches tall. Feel free to size it to any size you want. If you carve it send me a picture. Also be kind enough to give me credit for my creation and for sharing it.

Thanks! Enjoy!

Carving a Caricature Penguin Lesson 2

Here is Lesson #2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDp4DM5Uuz8

Carving a Caricature Penguin Lesson 2

Who knew this video making thing was going to be enjoyable? Hopefully some of you enjoy it as well. Anyway, hope you come along for the ride. Here is installment number 2 for carving a penguin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo_Bf8Kigco

First video

After getting a new GoPro from my wife for Christmas, I now have no excuse for not getting some videos done. So, I completed my first introductory carving video and uploaded it today. I hope you enjoy it.

https://youtu.be/sl7efiEIMqA

Anyway, I want to do some more, as I continue on this carving journey. I hope to continue to teach to new audiences along the way. At least until someone tells me they can't stand to see my mug, or listen to my voice, or they just don't find it interesting. Let's hope it hits a spot and others come along for the ride.

Have a great carving year!

Time flies, doesn't it?

     Somehow time gets away from us and you look up and just can't believe how long it has been. I apologize for those of you who look me up once in a while to see what I have been up to. I have been busy, but with school starting up, and being in a new (returning to) subject at a new school, things have been extremely busy. No excuse.

     I have finished a few carvings, although some of them have been roughouts rather than my own creations. I was gifted lots of blanks and several roughouts. Some of them have been old roughouts, and some are so old, the wood has dried out. That makes for a tough carving, but challenges are simply things that have to be overcome. And we can always learn something new, or rediscover something we forgot. For example, using a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water is a neat trick for rejuvenating old wood, or for helping to carver across some tough end grain. That was the case on the Santa with a bird (see below) and another Santa that I hope to finish soon. I will post pictures of that one soon, if I ever get it finished.

     Anyway, I hope you enjoy these. Thanks for staying tuned. See you next time.

This is a Bishop roughout.

A closeup.

My own design of a relief gunfighter.

A different design.

One mounted in a frame like an Old west wanted poster.

A Moore roughout of an Old World Santa.

Closeup.

The back side.

Another Bishop roughout.

Finally finished!!!!

     Wow! It seems like I have been working on this carving forever. Due to my shoulder injury and rehabilitation to teach it how to work correctly, I have been very slow in my carving, and have not been able to carve very long at a time, and not very often.
     However, it is finished. This is the second in my quest to carve more biblical scenes. The earlier one was "The Coat" which showed Joseph and his coat of many colors. This one shows the showdown between David and Goliath. I am glad it is finished. Now on to the next one.
     Enjoy! Comments are always welcome!

Club Project

     Since I have been down with shoulder surgery (rotator cuff), I have not been able to do any real, major carving. I can hold something in my hand and do light carving that does not involve the shoulder. Watching our club get involved in a small 4" Rufus style (Mike Shipley and Harold Enlow style) carving at the April carving club meeting, I was envious of the carving club members who were having a grand time being taught by Gene Fuller and Larry Crist, our resident instructors for this small project. 

     So I grabbed 2 of the blanks, and decided I would carve at home, if I could, and see what I could do. And if not, they would still be there when I was ready. These two are the ones I turned out. One is painted, and the other is not, but will be soon (post to come later). 





























































Anyway, it was not too hard to do. Not too much gripping, although I had to hold on to it so it did not slip out of my hands. How many times has that happened?

So, until I am released by the doctor, and feel comfortable, it will be a while until I am back to some serious, heavy carving, probably just in time for summer (I hope!). But for small projects of this type, I can muddle through in small measures, remembering not to pull the shoulder and not to strain too much. Boy, it's hell getting old!

Thanks for tuning in and listening! See you next time!

Wow! I did not realize it had been since November since I posted. Lots of things going on in our lives. 

We sold our old house (losing my shop in the meantime) and bought a newer one in a much nicer neighborhood. In addition to that, I have had to have shoulder surgery to repair a torn (split in half, actually) rotator cuff, as well as a torn bicep muscle. So my carving has gone by the wayside. I have been drawing, so I can get started on my new projects sometime in the near future. I will have a recovery time until at least the end of April. Then I have at least 3 months of therapy to get the proper strength and movement back in my shoulder. 

Anyway, I should be back up soon. In the meantime, I shall have to post some of my drawings or other things I am working on. Having 6 weeks off of work has given me a new and fresh perspective on retirement. I will honestly say, I can't wait until retirement. I will have plenty to do and not having to punch that old time clock day after day will be a blessing. My wife and I have some contemplation to do to make sure we are prepared, financially, for retirement, but both of us are excited to do this. Of course we have a few more years, but that gives us enough time to prepare for it and make sure we should be OK in terms of not having to be put in the poor house.

Talk to y'all later.