Here's my latest Santa; done as a gift for my mother-in-law, from a Dave Stetson rough-out. Fun carving, but I'm getting a little sick of the color red.

FlatbackSanta

Facebook Santas

I just finished a group of Santas for some Facebook friends.  One of them had posted a Pay It Forward 2011 status, wherein the first 5 replys would receive a handmade item, with the catch being that each of those people had to make 5 handmade items as well.  I jumped on it, and it's been a fun project, even if it did take a year and a half to complete.

From an "improving the process" point of view, doing the same (or same-ish) project several times in a row was very valuable.  I'm ready to try something different now, though.

From Facebook-Santas

Facebook-Santas

Han Solo, M.D.

This is a commission piece for a doctor friend who's a big fan of Star Wars.

It was a really fun project that came together fairly quickly (for me anyway) and I got to refine a few processes and upgrade the workspace along the way.

More pics (including works in progress) are in the album.

Solo Doctor

Santa Slim!

At the beginning of August I attended the Doane Woodcarving Experience in Crete, NE. I took a week-long Santa carving class tought by Michele Carville Stetson and really enjoyed it. I learned some new painting techniques and am looking forward to my next project, which I think is going to be Uncle Sam.

Woodcarving-SantaSlim

The Latest Rufus

This is my latest Rufus, completed after I found an old blank in a box under the drafting table.

I really like carving Rufuses; the very first carving I did was a Rufus (okay, it might actually have been second, but it's right in there somewhere). It was a pattern from a Harold Enlow book, and it was a great design to learn on (still is). They're small (about 3" tall), fairly quick, and you can do a reasonable amount of modification to them. After working on a series of larger carvings, I found I had to concentrate on "shrinking my mind" so that I could work on this guy without puncturing myself. Small size is cute, but it means less space to hold on to.



More pictures in the gallery, including that first Rufus.

Woodcarvings-Rufus

Santa

It's my first Santa!
On the last night of the Doane Experience, I took an Impromptu Santa class from Dave Stetson & Michele Carville-Stetson. I didn't quite finish, but very cool, very fast-paced class.

I'll have to do more of these, they're fun.

Woodcarvings-FirstSanta

Grumpy Bob

Grumpy Bob, collection of Corrie Lisk-Hurst.

I really don't remember what year I did this guy; probably '91 or so.

He, uh, used to be a girl. Started life as a Sadie, but I didn't feel like carving a Sadie, so snip snip boom, there's grumpy Bob.

That may explain the grumpiness.