Back to Carving
Clodette and Clod knee deep in lace vine in bloom
I celebrated Labor
Day in the usual way by doing some more last minute touch ups on the totem as I
prepare to start a new phase of my work on the totem. I intend to stand the
totem up today and lean it against my deck and sand and finish the outside of
the totem. Then I will move on to painting the totem in a somewhat traditional
style by hand in colors on a limited palette of neutral colors with maybe just a little shading to help define the
carved features of the wood, hopefully giving depth and an aged look to the
carving that will only enhance with the fourth dimension, and that is time.
me putting finishing touches on front of totem before standing it up
My traditional
method of mixing paint as I like to do usually involve using gasoline as the
paint comes in pigment form of artist oil paints and is diluted quite easily by
the gasoline. Lacquer thinner of a petroleum base can be used also , and will
achieve the same results , but being a chainsaw carver who if left alone to
live off only his carvings, I would starve quite easily unless I worked with
materials I have on hand. I use gas and oil mixed for the chainsaw, and so this
is normally what I use in small amounts. Care should be taken when working with
any harmful vapor that is highly flammable. The nice thing about gasoline is
that it works in two ways first it tends to suck the paint deep into the wood impregnating
more of the pigment deeper into the wood. At secondly it works to preserve the
wood by again drawing whatever pigment and oils deeper into the wood creating a
non-porous surface with internal bonding in the surface cell structure. I have
used acrylic washes and water to do the same thing on wood. But it seems as if
the paint tends to stay on the surface and deteriorates faster. If you plan to keep
your carving inside your house then for sure use nothing but acrylics paint and
forget sealing with any varnish. This will avoid any lingering vapors. Read and
research and determine for yourself the proper application of any material for
your carving that suits your needs best.
completing the repair from where i damaged it earlier moving it
There are a
couple of chainsaw blogs that support chainsaw carvers with information from
the general chainsaw population who ask questions and post photos of their
accomplished work. As with everything, and before you start posting, take time
to read the blogs before asking questions , to get a feel for the people
posting on there. There is good and bad in everything. Information and advice
is only good for you if it is the right information. If it sounds flaky or you
are in question then ask a question to clarify what is you are looking for. I will
add links and they are interesting to follow if you like chainsaw art also. You
can always ask me any question by following my links or just posting a question
on my blog comments which I do read all the time. Don’t always have the answer
but may know where to go to find it.
In response
to a readers comment before about seeing my sculpture or the totem, I still intend to have a potlatch party, which
has nothing to do with pot, maybe. Anyhow a potlatch party is given for the sculptor
and it is at this time the patron who commissioned the work pays the artist or
creator of the totem for his work and takes his totem home. It is a celebration
of a new work to be displayed. I intend
to have a bonfire and want to invite, anyone who is interested in seeing the
completed totem of which I am on schedule to finish by sept. 20th of
2014, less than 18 days from now, so mark your calendars. It will happen at 6-
8 in front of my greenhouse here at the farm. I have no intention of providing
food or drinks so bring your own refreshments, a friend, an enemy, and enjoy a
bonfire to usher in a new Fall season. I will have trees on sale for fall
planting already potted, ready to go in the ground. Planting in the fall helps
the trees to survive by assuring plenty of water to encourage root growth.
I am also
celebrating 25000 views on my blog. I never expected even half this much and
even when I don’t write I can still garner 10 - 15 views per day on my blog
from people catching up on past blogs I have written. Many thanks to all of you
and I appreciate taking the time to read and enjoy the pictures I take and
share with you. I like to think I have learned a lot on writing do’s and don’ts.
At times the words slip ever so easily from my mind to the screen, and at
others it is like pulling teeth to find the right words. An old cowboy proverb says one should taste
the words before letting them out of your mouth. I am trying here lately and
from now on to do just that. I have no intentions of sanitizing my blogs but
instead flavor them in such a way to make the readers come back for more, a
second helping if you please. They say President Abe Lincoln would be so book
starved when he was young growing up on a farm in Illinois that he would reread
books he had already read to see if he missed something the first time. To me
you reading my blog is like being the author of any book Abe ever reread. I am
honored that I had worthy things to say and subjects that interest you that
make you want to come back for more. Thank you and 30000 hits don’t look so far
away. Again thanks, can’t say it enough.
Below are the links i have told you bout involving chainsaw carving. you can never learn too much, but you can always be ill-advised .
Below are the links i have told you bout involving chainsaw carving. you can never learn too much, but you can always be ill-advised .
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