---- Chris Pye: WOODCARVING - NEWSLETTER ---- August 2002 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com "Dedicated to the teaching, learning and love of woodcarving" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello Everyone! Please forward this newsletter to a woodcarving friend, and anyone else you think might be interested. Thanks! This is an opt-in newsletter and you should only be receiving it because you requested it from the website, or were sent it by a friend. Subscribe or Unsubscribe easily on the home page here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/index.html or using the link at the end of the newsletter. ****Back issues here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html including zipfile for 2001 newsletters ============================================================ Replying to this Newsletter? PLEASE CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE! ============================================================ CONTENTS: 1. Slipstones Woodcarving Magazine - August 2002 2. Website News 1) UK ToolShop & Auriou Woodcarving Tools 2) New Website Inspiration 3) Survey in the Offing 3. Article: Foundations of Woodcarving 6: 'Vision' by Chris Pye 4. Quick Carving Questions 1) Basic Carving Set Of Tools? 2) Henry Taylor Lozenge Microgouges? 3) How Useful are Worn Tools? 4) Why Do You Stress Repetition? 5. Guest Article: Woodcarving And Co-Creation... by Eric Theeman Website Bookmarks at the end. ____________________________________________________________ 1. SLIPSTONES WOODCARVING MAGAZINE - August 2002 ____________________________________________________________ Slipstones Woodcarving Magazine is like an invitation to my workshop where I share my experience of over 25 years as a professional woodcarver, and offer advice and support, along with that of other subscribers. WHY NOT JOIN ME? For full details of this invaluable interactive woodcarving magazine, go now to: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html And get your FREE copy of '101 Master Woodcarving Secrets', exclusive to subscribers. Back issues of Slipstones now available without subscribing. ----- THIS MONTH: 2 main issues: *** WHAT TO DO IF YOU 'DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CARVE'? *** It can be a problem, finding something to carve. Here's an exercise aimed at giving you a good sense of the subjects that interest you and the goals towards which you might aim. *** INSIDE BEVELS: HOW MUCH? WHAT'S THE QUICKEST WAY TO ADD IT? *** Although you may have heard about them, read that they are 'useful', it can still take a bit of nerve to remove the necessary amount of metal to make an effective inner bevel on a gouge. What's the best way, or even the quickest way to do it? And how long should the inner bevel be? All the answers here! *** And more, including 'Lines of Light' and Carving Tips. Subscribe to Slipstones magazine. And get your FREE copy of '101 Master Woodcarving Secrets', exclusive to subscribers. Have you downloaded your FREE sample edition of Slipstones? Find it here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html ____________________________________________________________ 2. WEBSITE NEWS ____________________________________________________________ 1) NEW INSPIRATION It has to be, given the article below. Ur-Eve - icon of prehistoric art, some 25,000 years old... See her here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/g_inspiration.html 2) FREE EBOOKS COMING SOON I'm preparing two free eBooks based on articles I've written in this newsletter: * 'Notes from Maine': Feedback from the mouths of students. * 'Fundamentals of Carving': The last article appears below. Comments and suggestions welcome. ____________________________________________________________ 3. ARTICLE: Foundations of Woodcarving - Part VI by Chris Pye ____________________________________________________________ There are some things in woodcarving which are fundamental: "Being, or involving, basic facts or principles; far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect, especially on the nature of something." Over the next few months I want to pick out, briefly, some of my favourites. If I'm any good as a carver then it's because I understand these importance of a few of these fundamentals. 1: March 02 - Bosting In 2: April 02 - Slicing 3: May 02 - Relativity 4: June 02 - Working With The Tool 5: July 02 - Working From The Tool and now... 6: VISION Two carvers approach their blocks of wood. They have the same amount of experience, but different projects. One goes straight in with a happy smile and a song, confidently carving away swathes of wood. The other picks and pecks around the surface, frowning and looking not a little worried. What's the difference? The first knows where they are going. The second doesn't. As a rule: the more you can see your subject in the wood, the easier it is to cut away the wood that hides it. Vision, visualising, is the capacity to see things that are not actually present. More than any other craft, this is what you need in carving. When the first Palaeolithic cave dweller said to the other 'Ugg' and got the reply 'Ugg ugg!'... (Sorry, you'll need a translation: 'How did you carve that Willendorf Venus then?' 'I just cut away the bits that didn't look like a Willendorf Venus and there it was!') ... a joke was born that is retold to this day, but which is seriously true in its essence. Quite literally your subject is 'in there', in your starting block of wood - it's nowhere else! And all the millions of words in books and magazines, all the thousands of woodcarving teachers aim to help you find it. Some carvers find it easier to visualise what lies beneath the wood than others, and still others find not being able to visualise very frustrating. But let me say a few things about which, through experience, I have no doubt: * You CAN practise visualisation - people do it in meditation classes - so it does have elements of a learned skill. * With experience and practice you will get better at visualising what's in the wood before you - so, the more you do, the better you'll get. * You can improve your sense of the subject in the wood by preparation: drawing, modelling, thinking about it in great detail - so you really pin it down in your mind's eye. This last point is very important. If you don't know what you are carving - if you can't 'see' it - then you are going to have a lot of problems carving it. To the extent that you can see it, the carving will be a lot easier. I cannot think of any aspect of woodcarving where this would not be true. ----------------------------------------------- I hope you understand what I am describing here. Feel free to write and I'll be happy to run a follow up. (And if you've never met the Willendorf Venus, call in at the 'inspirations' in the website...) That's the last in the series - unless you can think of something I've missed! __________________________________________ 4. QUICK CARVING QUESTIONS __________________________________________ **** QUESTION 1: BASIC CARVING SET OF TOOLS? **** "I ordered your 'Basic Carving Set' from Auriou and the two Additional Gouge sets. Will this give me what I need to do a fair amount of carving?" **** ANSWER **** Definitely! The so-called 'basic set' is a collection of 11 carving tools that I have offered as a suggested to students as place to start and road tested over years. I list it in most of my books and on the website: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_kts.html These tools cover a wide range within the Sheffield list and are ones you are likely to use frequently. The Additional Set extends them to wider and narrower. On these tools are based the fish project in my relief book where you will also see what students went on to achieve with these same tools. In the future you WILL find yourself needing tools that your carving friend doesn't, because your subjects are different. It would not be unusual for your next tools will be shortbent (spoon) gouges etc for getting into deeper recesses than straight tools allow. As your carvings become more intricate, more complicated, then the tools you'll need become more specific - but when that will be depends on what you do of course. The task now is to find subjects and get carving! =================================== **** QUESTION 2: HENRY TAYLOR LOZENGE MICROGOUGE **** "I have recently obtained a set of the Henry Taylor Micro Tools, one of which is called a 5mm Lozenge Tool (Gouge?). Could you give me your thoughts on what exactly it is designed for, and any comments on sharpening, bevels etc? One side has a flat face?" **** ANSWER **** Essentially it is a small two-sided skew chisel. Use it bevel-down. You won't turn it over to cut left or right, as you would a normal skew. Sharpen it as you would any skew and use it for removing wood in sharp recesses. =================================== **** QUESTION 3: HOW USEFUL ARE WORN TOOLS? **** "I sometimes see old tools, often quite worn, and never know if I should buy them. How can I tell if they will be useful?" **** ANSWER **** How can you tell whether ANY tool will be useful? You have to see it in the light of your experience and what you are carving or intend to carve. Even well-worn tools can be useful, if only for the raw material the represent for re-shaping and re-tempering, but, as a rule, the more useful a tool is, the more worn you'll find it! There is a discussion of old tools and salvaging them in my book Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment, page 93: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/writing/w_bk1vol1.html A lot of tools go to collectors and prices are as high as new ones. There are many excellent new tools on the market, offering far better value for money. As a carver, remember it's the carving that counts in the end. =================================== **** QUESTION 4: WHY DO YOU STRESS REPETITION? **** "You seem to stress doing things many times, but I find this boring. What's the point?" **** ANSWER **** It's all to do with learning. Sometimes, as in: 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy', once is enough! Mostly though, it isn't - as you must surely know if you've learned to play a violin or drive a car. We all need practice. This never stops. And practice means repeating the same thing until you get it right, until you get the co-ordination, control, flow, muscle, whatever, 'right'. Yes it can be tedious, which is why you need to focus on why you are doing it: you practice to improve, to be a better carver, to create better woodcarvings. ____________________________________________________________ 4. GUEST ARTICLE: Woodcarving And Co-Creation... by Eric Theeman ____________________________________________________________ WOODCARVING AND CO-CREATION... by Eric Theeman Have you heard that there is a spiritual path called, "Doing the Dishes"? Well, I reckon there a path called "Woodcarving" and when I mentioned this to Chris, he asked me describe how I saw it. I used to do counseling work. One client told me how burglars had burnt down the workshop where she carved wood and made violins. She described her way of working. She looked at me intensely waved her hands around and said, "It's a flow in wood! You know how to make a flow in wood!" Something clicked in my head and said, "Yeah, that I do!" and, when she left, I grabbed a piece of firewood and a knife and whittled a Scottie dog. My critical wife admired it and said, "You'd better buy some proper tools" - which I did and soon found I had a natural talent of which I had not been aware: I was always bottom of the art and drawing class. Next thing, our lodger dug up a block of 'concrete' and said, "Here's something you can't carve!" To which I replied, "I can carve anything, I only need a point" - and I ground an old chisel to a point and started to whack at it. Underneath an eighth inch of concrete was a beautiful white soft stone called 'Omaru Stone'. I began to carve something similar to Rodin's 'The Kiss', where the girl sits on his knee and he is pulling her around and down, and kissing her. I tried for hours but I couldn't carve what I thought wanted to. At 4am, I realized that she was facing away, not kissing. As soon as I started in that direction, I felt a creative urge move me and I knew exactly what I was doing and where to cut and in a short time I had a wonderful carving that didn't look much like Rodin's sculpture. That's how I started and, right then, I learnt some lessons: When I am feeling tuned in to a Higher Self, a Creative Force, whatever you might call it, I produce wonders. When I am hacking away and trying to figure it out, I am working against that energy inside me. And this I have always felt as I've worked away at my craft. People say, "Wow, did you do that?" But how can I say "No" when my hands and tools shaped it? And how can I say, "Yes" when it was 85% done before I realized what was manifesting under my hands? I assert that I've never created anything in my life. Take the carving I've just mentioned: Kauri worked on it 400 years before I did. Italian craftsmen created the tools that carved it. Woodsmen, mill-hands and lumberyard men, worked to bring it to me. My wife feed me while I carved... You could say that 'All Creation is Co-creation'. And add to that an audience, admiring or condemning it: they too are co-creating it! Recently, I wanted to carve something like a Henry Moore statue, which I had seen in a book, from a block of Totara: the best NZ wood for carving. It was to be a far-out abstract, in the Moore style. As I worked, I modified my vision. It became overall a rather feminine shape. A long curved hole related to the position of imaginary legs. The heart was a deep hole of concentric rings (which took many hours to carve) and the face a smaller hole harmonious to the hole of the heart. You would never guess it grew from Moore's idea. But again, that's my argument for co-creation. Henry provided a base for me, a taking off place; I created from his basic idea. And, to me, the result was more warm and human! Almost all my carvings start with the human form; I then take them towards abstraction to produce long, harmonious curving lines with which I aim to delight the eye and hand. Over the years I've learned many more lessons: I have had failures, a waste of time and good material, but, as I see it, I need to be able to learn from every failure. I have found, over and over, that I should slow down and not be carried away by enthusiasm when I begin to see my concept working out. I have learnt that very few mistakes are fatal. I always thought that it was okay to take money for my work but it becomes not-okay when I start to cut corners (good analogy!) in order to save time. And, then, some pieces feel like my children and I might give them away but I couldn't sell them! I believe one should never stop learning, or collecting tips and experiences of woodcarving. I am 75 and I have been carving a long time. Just now, Chris's Newsletter always has some ideas that I have never met or thought of before. There are also lots of woodcarving ideas, good and not so good to be seen on the Internet. Try writing in "Woodcarving" or "Sculpture" on a search engine. You will find hundreds of ideas which can act as taking off points, and from which you can create your own improvements or a parallel concept. Another way to bring forth ideas is to place your uncarved block on the kitchen table where you will keep seeing it with a piece of chalk, so that when the inspiration comes, you can capture it immediately. Above all enjoy the work and your woodcarving. Have fun! ----------------------------------------------------------- (c) Copyright 2002: Eric Theeman Eric is retired and lives in Auckland New Zealand. Notes from the author: "Bill Clinton expressed it well when he said, 'You are so lucky to live in this land of Peace and Plenty!' I didn't find 3D art, carving till I was 50 but that is still a long time ago. Like to 'lose' myself in the work of carving; to me that is Peace and Joy." ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ That's it for this month - sorry it's shorter! I hope you have found this newsletter interesting and useful. Once more: joy and success in your carving! Chris Pye ------------------------- PS: Another one to ponder at the bench: 'The only cutting edge which improves with use is a sharp tongue' WEBSITE BOOKMARKS ____________________________________________________________ * UK TOOLSHOP: Auriou woodcarving tools and other equipment http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_uktoolshop.html * UKTOOLSHOP Direct Link (missing out introductory page): http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/uktoolshop/index.html * Slipstones Magazine http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html * Learning to Carve Free - eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/learncarving/learn_ebook.html * A Guide to Safe Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/safecarving/safecarving_index.html * Mistakes and Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/mistakes/mistakes_ebook.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright (c) Chris Pye 2002 Chris@chrispye-woodcarving.com ------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Pye: Woodcarving Newsletter is listed in the EzinesPlus directory of newsletters and ezines. http://ezinesplus.com -------------------------------------------------------------