A number of ongoing projects and commitments including the carving of the Bound Heart Lovespoon has made it difficult to post regularly and a bank-up of WIP posts has developed so I will provide only brief descriptions with the next several posts beginning with carving the puffin.
The puffin is carved in deep relief nestled between the left hand spoon stem and a bounding curvilinear structure that partly frames the various carved elements of the lovespoon.
To carve the puffin I have first carved down to the level of the foremost point just below the wing shoulder. Then by re-drawing the outlines of the main forms carved down in stages from stop cuts made along the outlines to shape the various main forms. Simultaneous to this work on the puffin some of the background of the puffin is established and this determines the depth of relief that will be attempted.
The background includes some water splashes and stylised wave forms beyond the rock which provides the he puffin’s base.
A continuing process of carving and re-drawing gradually brings the puffin’s main form into being ready for details to be added.
The level within the carving where the puffin locates, in turn has its affect on the best levels through which a fair and pleasing curve of the spoon stem would travel on its course upward to the lantern hanging link.
The puffin’s eye and wing feather details are added using a variety of small chisels and gouges with just the right curve. Whenever that is possible. While any curve can be effectively followed in increments wit a narrow flat chisel or shallow gouge a larger gouge that fits a curve, or part of it is the best choice for efficiency and neatness.
With the main form established and details indicated the puffin is ready for tweaking and final finishing at a later stage.
The next post will be the carving of the rose on the lower right.
Lovespoons, Graphics and other Wood-Art 