"Goofy"

My latest carving is Walt Disney's "Goofy." As with any piece it all starts with a block of wood, a photo or template and some skecthing.

With center lines drawn and the front view I can transfer reference points onto the rear and left and right sides for the coping stage.

I tend to begin all my projects with the frontal view. That's great for coping left and right sides but (not being an artist) when working with a flat image I tend to get somewhat "off-track" when coping the front and rear of the subject. This time I took more time to pay attention to the rear and side reference points of "Goofy"

...and that really helped.

Once the roughing-out is close to the shape you need, "Goofy" begins to stand out.

Now it's just a matter of patience and time working with the rotary tool and carving knives.

Above, "Goofy" is finished into shape and "sanded."

Now, he's ready for sealing...

Now for the finishing touch, color!

Colors, and three lengths of thin stranded copper wire (for his tuft of hair on his head), "Goofy" is ready to be clear coated. The final clear coat brings out the colors, adds depth and protects "Goofy" as he takes his place on the shelve of another friends bookcase for many years as a "One of a Kind Woodcarving."

"Gawsh!"

"Sir Winston" a relief carving

It feels really great to get back to carving. This piece is carved for a very good friend of my wife and I. When diagnosed with cancer some years back she found solace in her pet Schnauzer, "Sir Winston." Through out Darlene's ordeal "Winston" has been there for her. "Winston" is a very special pet. He's smart and very "handsome."

As all pet lovers know there is something deeply emotional about the bond between a pet and its master, especially in times of trauma and/or illness. I hope this carving, in some small way will honor the love and adoration between Darlene and "Sir Winston."  This carving is a gift to Darlene.

It all starts with a photo...

Then the sketch...

....and away we go.

(Interestingly, taking a photo of a relief carving straight-on gives the appearance of a developed negative film.)

I've only carved two other relief carvings way back in the '70's. Both were names of someone or something and I carved them with an X-Acto knife. Now, after all these years I'm trying my hand at a figure with a rotary tool.

The soft pine carves well but care needs to be taken when cutting across the grain. It's too easy to "dig" into the softer grain and make a nasty mistake.

The carving moved along quicker than I expected and mistakes were kept to a minimum.

With the carving completed, its time to let the paint do its job.

A simple piece of wood begins to take "character."

"Sir Winston"