---- Chris Pye: WOODCARVING - NEWSLETTER ---- August 2003 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com "Dedicated to the teaching, learning and love of woodcarving" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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/ or using the link at the end of the newsletter. ****Back issues here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html including zipfiles for 2001 and 2002 newsletters ============================================================ Hello Everyone! CONTENTS: 1. Important Woodcarving eBook Announcement! 2. Website 1) New Gallery Carvings 2) New 'Inspiration' 3. Quick Carving Questions 1) Undercutting Angle? 2) 'Carving on Turning'? 4. Follow Up: 1) Workshop/Teaching Insurance 2) Internal Ferrules 5. Small Ad. 6. Parallel Lines: Guest Article It's Only Baby Steps... by Joann Javons Website Bookmarks at the end. __________________________________________ 1. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! __________________________________________ **** CHRIS PYE'S EBOOK WOODCARVING MANUALS & THE ACCOMPLISHED VTOOL 1 Thanks to all for the many constructive and candid responses to my request for feedback on THE ACCOMPLISHED V TOOL. I've tallied the input under two headings: "Good News" and "Bad News." "DEAR CHRIS, here's the good news: It's gorgeous, well written, beautifully illustrated, and extremely helpful." "DEAR CHRIS, here's the bad news: (#1) It's too expensive, and/or (#2) I'd rather have it as a paper book." I'm encouraged enough to respond positively on both points. * ISSUE #1: "IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE…" In the Autumn/Fall, I'll begin publishing a series of ebooks, over a broad range of carving topics: generally shorter than the Accomplished Vtool 1...and absolutely less expensive. Price range: $6 for the briefest (basic step-by-step projects); something like $8 for the mid-sized (more advanced); and topping out at $10 (okay, $9.95) (longer studies, in depth projects). I'll be keeping fairly much the same ratio of text to photos. Since the prototype Vtool book clearly falls into our newly defined "upper" price bracket (expensive but expansive), I'M REDUCING THE PRICE OF THE ACCOMPLISHED V TOOL TO $9.95, A BIT UNDER HALF OF THE ORIGINAL. At that reduced price, it becomes Volume 1 of the new series. * ISSUE #2: "I'D RATHER HAVE IT AS A PAPER BOOK..." These carving manuals will not be available as hard copy books, similar to those I've published. They'll be different from an 'ordinary' book in several ways. Most importantly, for the new series, I'll add animated video clips of key points and techniques. I am working on this now and will be adding video clips of important points to a new edition of the Accomplished Vtool 1 as soon as I can. When a new edition of any eBook appears, simply download it to the same computer as the old edition. The eBook recognizes the password, which you previously paid for, and opens fully, without you doing anything else. ***** DID YOU BUY THE FIRST EDITION AT FULL PRICE? If you bought a copy of THE ACCOMPLISHED V TOOL at full price, you can easily update to the new reduced-price edition at no extra cost when it appears. In addition: you deserve a refund.... which I'm happily in the midst of processing. If you haven't heard from me already, you will very shortly. You'll be using this refund, of course, to buy Volume 2... ***** DID YOU PUT OFF BUYING THE FIRST EDITION AT FULL PRICE? If you're one of the many who downloaded the original evaluation copy, but chose not to buy the full book, I hope you'll reconsider. You need not download a new evaluation copy-the new price will appear automatically. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ YOU CAN NOW BUY THE ACCOMPLISHED V TOOL AT THE NEW PRICE OF $9.95 (£5.95)! JUST OPEN YOUR EVALUATION COPY AND CLICK ON THE LINK IN ANY LOCKED PAGE. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you haven't yet downloaded a free evaluation copy, you'll see it here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/ Again, thanks to all who bought in....and to those of you who took the time to explain why you didn't. As you can see, I am willing to respond to constructive feedback. More news about the ongoing, expanded e-book series in our September newsletter. __________________________________________ 2. WEBSITE NEWS __________________________________________ 1) NEW GALLERY! I was recently privileged to carve another trophy for HRH The Prince of Wales. The 'Queen Mother Trophy' is a turned & carved, silver plated, two-handled flagon, to be given to the winner of an annual polo match, of which the Queen Mother was a keen spectator. See the Queen Mother Trophy in Gallery 7: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/gallery7.html There are links on the 'details' page to some pictures showing how I carved the trophy. Also carved recently, for a sculpture garden: a post, newly lettered with one of my favourite phrases: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/gallery9.html 2) NEW INSPIRATION For a change: the head of a foliate beast: simple, clean carving with great character and a shrewd eye. We are so lucky, in the UK, having so much superb carving, and so easily to hand for drooling over. Here it is: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/g_inspiration.html _______________________________________ 3. QUICK CARVING QUESTIONS ________________________________________ **** QUESTION 1: UNDERCUTTING ANGLE **** "Recently came across material about Chip Carving. It indicated that a 65deg. angle cut into the material was about the best for creating shadows, etc. I assume the same might work for undercutting other types of carvings?" **** ANSWER **** No, there is no hard and fast rule like this: the amount of undercutting depends on the position of the carving, the light and shadow, the amount of fragility etc. Undercut a little, and then see what the effect is. Stop when you achieve this. Undercutting for the sake of it only weakens a carving to no advantage. Different parts of a carving often need different amounts of undercutting. =================================== **** QUESTION 2: 'CARVING ON TURNING'? **** "I have been trying to get a copy of your book, 'Carving on Turning' only to find out that it is apparently out of print. Any way to get a copy?" **** ANSWER **** Yes, it's out of print I'm afraid and, as far as I can tell, unlikely ever to be seen again... These days, most publishers are led by accountants and any woodcarving book that doesn't sell well enough gets stabbed in the back with a number 3 gouge. Alas. __________________________________________ 4. FOLLOW UP (with thanks to the contributors): __________________________________________ 1) Workshop/Teaching Insurance [March 03] From John Tyberg: In your March newsletter you had a query regarding insurance cover and I suggested the person contact the British Woodcarvers Association for details of their insurer. I have just been searching my old BWA magazines for a totally different article and came across an Agent who offers a Craftsman Insurance scheme. It is Ian W. Wallace of Verwood Dorset. Tel: 01202-826127 and 0800 919 359. Website: www.craftinsurance.co.uk It looks like it might be of interest to anybody giving lessons or starting to make a living from carving etc. =================================== 2) Internal ferrules [June 03] From Ted Tagg Talking of internal ferrules on chisel handles, there is a good description of how to do this in a Norwegian book: "Enkel Treskjæring" by Tom Borgerson - pp21+22. _______________________________________ 5. Small Ad. ________________________________________ ** WANTED: CONSIGNMENT CARVINGS OF ANY STYLE. New studio / gallery opening in historic Cedarburg Wisconsin. If you have ever thought of selling your carvings this would be a great opportunity. Contact: Dale J. Osowski 262-236-3765 USA Email dale9091@aol.com _______________________________________ 6. PARALLEL LINES: GUEST ARTICLE It's Only Baby Steps... by Joann Javons ________________________________________ It's Only Baby Steps... by Joann Javons Failures aren't born. They're made. So are successes. Studies have shown that defining success is the first step to achieving it. This means defining success for you, in your terms. People who don't have a personal definition of success feel less successful and less satisfied in their lives. They also earn less money. If your life is not guided by a plan with goals you create, it will be guided by a default plan, a plan created by your past conditioning and others' expectations of you. Some people resist the idea of a plan for their lives because they think its something rigid. But having a plan is EXACTLY what allows you to take advantage of serendipity, the un-expected, new opportunities. Your plan consists of your goals in major areas of your life. Your goals allow you to recognize and take advantage of the unexpected when it shows up in your life. Just think: If you took only 1 baby step each day toward your priority goal in the next month, by the end of the month you'd be 30 steps closer to your goal! It's only baby steps you need to take to reach your goal. Not giant leaps, not overnight success, not massive time each day. People set themselves up for failure by thinking that they have to devote huge chunks of time to their major goal each day. Not so. It's the progress toward that goal that counts, the consistent and persistent action done in little chunks on a regular basis. If you haven't been exercising, would you just go out and run 10 miles? Some people make this mistake by setting unrealistic actions each day: the goal isn't unrealistic, the daily actions are. In addition, you want the FEELING that progress gives you, the energy and momentum that little daily actions give you. You want to stay motivated. That's why baby steps work. How little is a baby step? In your first month of moving toward your goal, a baby step is the SMALLEST action you can do in 10-15 minutes each day. Not 30 minutes, only 10-15 minutes each day. What can you do today in 10-15 minutes to take a step toward your priority goal? Here are some ideas: * Brainstorm a list of all actions you *COULD* take toward your goal. Later, identify those priority actions that will only take 10-15 minutes for the next 30 days. * Make a list of people to call who can give you some on-target information about your goal. * Make 1 phone call that moves you toward your goal. * Write the challenges you expect to face in reaching your goal. * Each day, write how you can handle each challenge (reduce it, avoid it, break through it, get support, etc.) * Read something for 15 minutes related to your goal. * Schedule a future meeting with a person or group related to your goal. (Yes, the meeting itself will take longer than 10 or 15 minutes but scheduling it won't.) Start your daily habit of progressing toward your priority goal with only 10-15 minutes each day. You CAN take these baby steps! © Copyright Joann Javons 2002 ----------------------------------------------- Joann@private-practice-marketing.com Private Practice Marketing http://www.private-practice-marketing.com For more information on reaching your goals, see our FREE 3 week Goals For Life Planning process at: http://www.peoplepoems.com/goals_weekone.htm ----------------------------------------------- *****COMMENT: HOW IS THIS RELEVANT TO WOODCARVING? If you add 'woodcarving' before 'goals', I think you will see the relevance pretty clearly! Not-carving is one of the biggest bugbear for beginners - and even those woodcarvers with experience find getting time and opportunity to pursue their desires difficult a lot of the time. And I include myself in this; for me, it's finding time to pursue my own visions rather than those of someone else. Somehow, though, we have to keep heading towards our goals as woodcarvers, and this article is about making the path conscious and deliberate. It's also about walking quietly but persistently a step at a time, rather than intense leaps with long rests in between. This is actually how the brain and muscle-memory like to work. "It's the progress toward that goal that counts, the consistent and persistent action done in little chunks on a regular basis." I see it someone doing this as 'leaning on the door', quietly pushing, insistent that the door WILL open. Or like water: it's always leaning on the walls of its container. The slightest gap and it moves a little more downhill to the sea. ============================================= That's all for this month! Joy and success in your carving! Chris Pye ------------------------- PS: Another one to ponder at the bench: "The happiness which may emerge from taking a second look [at the commonplace objects in our surroundings] is central to Proust's therapeutic conception. It reveals the extent to which our dissatisfactions may be the result of failing to look properly at our lives rather than the result of anything inherently deficient in them. Appreciating the beauty of crusty loaves does not preclude our interest in a chateau, but failing to do so must call into question our overall capacity for appreciation." - Alain De Botton: 'How Proust Can Change Your Life' (Picador paperback, 1997) PPS - this is a great book! ____________________________________________________________ SOME WEBSITE BOOKMARKS ____________________________________________________________ ----------------- WOODCARVING TOOLS * 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 ----------------- WOODCARVING MANUALS * The Accomplished V Tool 1 - Free evaluation copy http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/ * 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 * Fundamentals of Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/fundamentals/fundamentals_ebook.html ----------------- TEACHING DATES * UK (1-TO-1 PERSONAL TUITION) Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_custom.html * CANADA (ROSEWOOD STUDIO, ALMONTE, ONTARIO) http://http://www.rosewoodstudio.com Sep 15 - Sep 19 The Outcome of the Tool: Sep 22 - Sep 26 Relief Carving Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_classesCAN.html Here's a link to view Rosewood's latest newsletter: http://www.rosewoodstudio.com/woodworking_newsl/woodworking_newsl.htm Inquiries, please call toll free 1-866-704-7778. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright (c) Chris Pye 2003 Chris@chrispye-woodcarving.com