Sharing my woodcarving journey, by Nate Elarton
I am working on this green man getting my inspiration from my favorite carver Alec Lacasse. I have never done leaves. I’m taking my time. I feel I have done better on the eyes. I used a pic by Alec and the book by Jeff Phares on eyes. I just got Ron Adamson’s DVD “The Eyes Have It” in the mail today so I am pretty happy about that.
I finished Geronimo. I wish I would have not touched him with paint. Well, what is done is done. Basswood was OK, but not as nice as doing faces in cottonwood bark.
I started this before going up north on vacation and worked on him tonight a couple hours. I am carving the Legend, Geronimo. I wish i would have tilted his head, like the picture. That’s harder than it looks. I am trying to concentrate on the details of the face. I’ll do the eyes tomorrow. I don’t like doing the eyes late when I am tired. They have to be as good as I am able to do them and being tired increases the chances for a mistake.
I have been working on my studio. I wanted to make more room f when I host our carving group and to have other men over to carve. I did finish a few projects to get them off the bench and post. I could have sanded the Green Man (from Chris Pye book) forever, so I stained it and will donate it and the cottonwood bark man to a silent auction at our church to help get our youth group to a Haiti Missions trip to HUT Outreach.
I did my first bowl. It’s in black walnut. I was pretty happy the way it turned out and my wife loved it. It was fun to do and a different genre of carving other than faces.
Here is An American Indian I started with Alec Lacasse, finishing it up. Need some more of this amazing cottonwood bark. Using another one of his carvings (pic beside) to reference for the detail.
I am working on this guy with a stocking cap, out of cottonwood bark from Canada. I am copying a similar carving from the one and only Alec Lacasse . I have to do the beard, which I am not confident in carving, but the only way to learn and get more confident is to do it. I just don’t want to screw it up, after taking so long to do the hat threads. It’s been a busy few weeks so first time carving in awhile. Loved finishing this guy up tonight.
I finally got a few hours today to go out to the studio and do some carving. I had been working on a Green Man, following Chris Pye’s book. I am going to do a lot of sanding on this guy, and do some light green staining I believe. A few more areas to clean up.
I have two projects going right now. One is in red cedar, which I love, and wish we had more this far south in Michigan. The other is cottonwood bark from Canada. Only had a couple hours this week to carve. Need to carve more to continue to get better. Tried a different way to do the nose. Also cut the eyes on the cedar with a V and a knife, which is new I usually have just used a knife.
I had an amazing time Monday taking a 5 hour woodcarving lesson with woodcarving prodigy and master, Alec Lacasse . An amazing 22 year old, talented and hard working artist. I went to his studio in Leonard, MI. This was the 2nd time I have been able to carve with him. Man, I feel like I hit another level. We carved a face together and he just opened
my eyes to so many new things in face carving. I love his approach as an artist, more than a woodcarver. His positive, and self-confident dynamic is impressive. He has a great balance of encouragement and critique. Check it his website and gallery at the link on his name. You will be amazed at his art. I wanted to take more time on the nose and mouth, and beard and I learned a whole lot more. My dad paid for the lesson for my birthday. It was great to see Alec, and to hang out with him. I consider him a great friend, as well as a teacher.
I will be working more on the neck and clothing collar.
