1-16-2012-click on image to display larger-bearcarving 4

   you have finished your carving and are ready to sign it now that all cutting is done. your initials are fine, date if you like , dont try to write a book and something with flair as you are proud of your work. one other thing i should mention is to remember to not have any areas not drain . if they don't drain and instead pocket water then this is an area for rot to start. finishes should be considered for all carvings irregardless of whether they are inside or outside carvings. unfinished exterior surfaces of carvings will dry contracting the fibers in the wood till it tears a crack. just need to do what you can to protect your carvings. whether you are the carver or the buyer , i will try to let you know what it takes to finish and maintain your bear or carving so that it will last and always be cherished.

   one the reasons i like the pine is it takes an edge well as i describe it. you can get sharp detail in your wood. one reason it is soft to carve, letting the chainsaw slice its way through the wood even when sawing  radius's. this is important as no carving has all straight lines . well you will get hairy cuts and these can easily be sanded down with sandpaper or using a grinder . this will knock off the fine splinters. another way is to burn off the splinters with a torch leaving the exterior of the bear a dark color. the splinters disappear as it burns up and chars the wood. this actually is supposed to seal the wood ,burning the open ends of the wood fiber closed . indians did something of the same kind to seal dugout canoes in primitive times. also it is supposed to harden the exterior of the wood. combined with lessening the finishing steps , burning is a quicker method. but that depends on what your overall finished product is .

     some people opt to finish their carving by painting it w/ a variety of different finishes, including artist oils , stains , acrylics, and spray paint cans. to pick one method over another is hard but is more subject to what the artists prefer to work in. i feel using artist oils is more historically correct and would lend it self to helping preserve the sculpture. stains also do this but still requires shading to make it more recognizable as to what is intended  by the sculpture. acrylics are water based and can be easier and have less v. o. c.'s ( volatile organic compounds. or they have harmful vapors and should only be applied open ventilated ares. like the looks of acrylics on wood. but it does hide the hood. stains and oil paints can be thinned to making washes allowing the grain to come out. this is important artistic statement . you will have less with acrylics.  and paint cans also can be applied to heavy blocking out the grain. i imagine when used properly would be useful in a quick sense. may notbe able to blend for specific colors like you can with artist oils. but no reason you couldnt combine the two.
   i use black artist oil with stain , or colors to shade the carving when necessary. it really brings a carving to life adding colors. it is like painting a 3 dimensional painting. combined with good carving will produce museum quality pieces.
  last you need to seal your carving in or protect it from the elements as they say. even pieces placed indoors need to be sealed. and bringing a green carving in side to a dry environment can be damaging to your carving. another reason for only using dry wood to begin with. severe cracking will result from uneven drying warping and twisting the carving. hardly ever carve on anything that hasn't dried for at least a year. evidence of bug infestation can and should be dealt with prior to sealing. take your carving to your fire pit when there is no fire and spray completely with pesticide to prevent transfer of bugs to another site. bugs dropping out of log will end up in your fire pit and a good fire will finish them off. the future owner of the carving will appreciate the effort. i usually take off areas of infestation while carving preventing their transfer also.
    for sealing i use spar urethane , -marine grade. should only come in exterior application. and i use matte finish as it makes the colors you use more vibrant and shows detail clearer , as the gloss will reflect light and impair your ability to see clearly. im sure there are others out there that will debate that . but this my feeling. read the forums and become informed . would try and make sure everything is exterior finish even if you intend to have the carving inside. you really need one good coat to seal exterior of carving. i hand brush starting at top of carving and working down to base , looking up and wiping runs as i go.  one good coat should last a year and then you need to re-coat as it shows exposure.and only as it needs it after that. there are a wide variety of sealing varnishes and lacquers and you have to decide what is best for you.
    finally if you set a carving outside set him on that stump you wanted ground out , as people will not know whether it is attached or not. also if placing directly on the ground then place him on top of a stone or on bricks and not directly on the ground. an inch or two in the air makes a big difference in reducing rot in an outside carving. make sure inside carvings are pest free before bringing in your house. and finally speaking of pests be careful who you allow to help you . i caught james displaying irregular workplace behavior to one of my carvings and took the last shot. and i thought he was helping me because he was a good friend. yeah right.