Mindy routinely loves to antagonize Shillelagh. Looking at them you'd think they're the picture of peace and quiet. Well, you'd be wrong! Mindy thrives on "roughing" up Shillelagh by speeding around her and picking at her and taking advantage of size... until Shillelagh has had enough.
Lee says, when Shillelagh has had enough of Mindy's shenanigans Shillelagh bellows out a couple of warnings then grabs Mindy by the head and neck and with just enough squeeze, lets Mindy know... that's enough!
These two opposites are also uniquely inseparable.
This relief carving is in appreciation to Lee and Pam for all their kindness and friendship to us.
As the plaque progresses, I notice Mindy may be somewhat tougher to carve out due to her thin and fluffy hair around her face and ears.
I try to keep in mind relief carving is quite unlike three-dimensional carving in that working with a shallow piece of wood, the image is "fore-shortened." Basically, if you cut too deep too soon you quickly change the image aspect and you "flatten" the object.
The closer I got to the finish the more the wood grain frustrated me. The darker grain visually altered the depth and appearance in relation to the photos.
It was time to "put their faces on."
With a few more "touch-ups" it was time to seal them with clear finish and get them ready to be shipped to their new owners in time for Christmas!
Merry Christmas Pam and Lee and thank you for all you've done for us!
