This piece started out to be so simple. Our niece is getting married and she and her husband to be are horse lovers. They planned a casual western themed wedding with Cowboy/girl hats and boots. Dawn has been a horse lover for most of her life. The same goes for her hubby to be and North Carolina will fill in for the perfect location to settle. This carving began as just two characters dressed as Dawn and Eddy on a base... Then, I remembered Dawn always wanted a steer skull for her home. The Steer Skull began the evolution of this piece.
The horns were pinned with 1/8" dowels and glued to the skull.
With a great deal of help from Dawn's Mom, Angela, the saddle entered the scene. Two good photos of Dawn on her horse allowed me to get the saddle reasonably close to her actual saddle.
The two photos below are the Tie Strap holders.
The wooden saddle horse.
I tossed around several poses for the couple. They ended up close together, Dawn with her two hands holding Eddie's left hand. Eddies right hand was to be simply between the two... but just didn't look right!
This is the first piece I've carved that the two figures will be carved as one piece. That led to some real frustration and a need to change an arm position as the piece progressed.
The front of my sketch lines were trimmed so I could trace the outline of the figures onto paper to use as a sort of template as the figures were cut into. I pencil rubbed the figures onto the paper then cut the two apart. By reversing the cutouts, I could mark the back of the wood blank to outline the figures as well.
The front view was working up as hoped. But Eddie's right arm looked very much out of place.
With much deliberation, Eddie's right arm needed to be removed at the elbow and his "new" forearm and hand is to be placed below Dawn's hair around her lower back.
Below, Eddie's lower arm is removed and the "new" forearm" is on the screen at the bottom of the photo. After a great deal of fitting, the piece is glued in place.
Success!
The couple was finished with a fine burr.
The base the couple is standing on was used to "fit" their shoes flat on the floor of the actual base.
The Tack Boxes!
Handles and hinges for the Tack Boxes.
The two small pieces to the right of the photo below include two spacers for the Tack Boxes to keep them off the wall of the barn to allow the lid to be opened. (No the boxes do not open.) The small piece lower far right is holding the four metal rings for the saddle straps. (The rings are tiny round screw hooks. They needed to be bent at the threads to make the rings stand off the saddle.)
With all the pieces ready for color, they were fitted to what grew into a three wall diorama.
At last, all the pieces were finished and all the mounting holes and dowels were made ready.
The "paint room" is setup and ready to go.
As the piece was coming together, someone suggested adding windows to the barn!
What a great addition to the piece. Photos were printed and the windows are routered and trimmed.
Saddle straps.
"At Home In The Horse Barn"
