WIP-Part 2: Carving a Mini Greenman

Sunday, July 12, 2009

WIP-Part 2: Carving a Mini Greenman

WIP= "Work In Progress"

I have just finished up the little greenman and he's most definitely turned out to be one happy little fellow that I hope will bring many a grin and smile to a lot of observers from the nick-nak shelf. First I must make a BIG correction because I said in my last posting that the wood used for this project was laurel. Not so... It's rhododendron. On a day hike to Stone Mountain State Park this week a friend reminded me of what I knew at one point in my life but I let my knowledge of plants slide to the far side of my brain for several years. I went on another long forest hike yesterday and I'm currently editing the pictures, but when done I will elaborate on the difference between the mountain laurel and rhododendron that's found in my region of the southern Appalachians. Perhaps it will stick with me this time!

Anyhow this has been another fun project and the latest addition to my collection of walking stick scrap characters. This particular greenman has probably been the most detailed of them all which can be credited to those shiny smiling pearly whites. This is also one of the first carving projects where I used my new Flexcut Pelican knives (both the mini and regular sizes) that I discovered and purchased after some research on the Woodcarving Illustrated Message Board. They came in really handy on the hollowed out areas such as in and out of the leave contours. These are two blades that I'm really glad to now have as part of my carving arsenal and they will be called upon on a regular basis now I'm sure.

Okay, it's on to my next project which I'm thinking will be a slingshot. If you look back to my posting on July 3rd I have been re-inspired by Rufus to make my own slingshot. I made several of them about 7 or 8 years ago but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures but I think that I can pull it off fairly easy. I've already ordered the rubber and it arrived this week. This is gonna be one fun project and I can't hardly wait to get started so let me get going........

1 comment:

jack sirmonsFebruary 22, 2010 at 10:18 PM
dude u finnished it
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About my blog...

1. Woodcarving/Woodwork: Working wood has been a lifetime obsession for me and I enjoy sharing what I know. It is my belief that hands-on and experiential learning has a direct and profound effect on the development of a child's intellect, confidence, and character. Projects of mine (and my students) will be posted as they progress and I will occasionally include a video tutorial. All of my videos can be found here .

2. Bushcraft/Primitive Living Skills: Finding ways to live closer to the land has always fascinated me. Whether it's building a shelter, fire starting, animal tracking, or just making rustic furniture... you'll eventually see some of it here.

3. Long Distance backpacking, canoeing, & bicycling: Some of my long distance adventures include thru-hiking the 2,600 mile Pacific Crest Trail, Mexico to Canada and I solo paddled the 1,800 mile Yukon river across northwest Canada and Alaska to the Bering sea. More detailed accounts of these and many other adventures can be found here

4. Sustainable Living: I'm always looking for better ways to do more by using less. It's not so much an "environmental" thing to me as it is a quest for personal independence from material things and finding a path to more substantive living .

5. Scouting Activity: As a scoutmaster of 6 years (and currently assistant scoutmaster) I'm actively involved with the troop and "Order of the Arrow" where it is a joy to volunteer hundreds of hours each year because investing in the next generation insures a better tomorrow for everyone. In an era when most schools don't value hands-on learning, outdoor education, and the arts... scouting soars in meeting these critical experiences for boys.

6. Profiles: Behind everyone's success you can usually find a trail of some very significant mentors and teachers along the way. And sometimes you don't completely understand how someone affected your life for the better until many years later. You'll find some of those stories here.

Sunday, July 12, 2009