The Big Show

The show opened with quite a good crowd the first day...over 400.  The second day was down due to the big Oklahoma University vs. Oklahoma State Bedlam game on Saturday but a little over 200 still managed to make it.  Most came to look but did manage to stick two sold signs on a couple of pieces.  I've uploaded quite a few photos inside the Bunkhouse Gallery and below is a short video clip I made walking around inside.  We were invited back over to the Lodge kitchen on Friday for a meal of roast Buffalo.  Tasty.  I also think I managed to plant my foot in the door for next years Cow Thieves & Outlaws Reunion held each October at Woolaroc as their major fund raising event.  Only a very select number of artists and vendors are invited to exhibit and sell their work.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the video and the photos.  I really can't tell you how honored I feel when I walk into that room and see My work so prominently featured in such a major museum.  Wow!

Setting Up The Display

Not the best photo but it should give you some idea of what the inside of the museum gallery will look like when it opens on November 23rd.  I was really concerned about being able to fill up all the space in that room but it turned out we had just enough to do it.   To move it all from our gallery to theirs we had originally rented a Uhaul truck.  Fortunately, that fell through and we were stuck with a 5X10' trailer.  I say fortunately as we would have never gotten everything inside that truck.  With all the stands for the large glass cases we were just barely able to get it into the back of our truck and the trailer.  But, evidently someone was watching over us and everything fit and we made it in one trip.

So, all we do now is wait in anticipation for that 10:00am opening next Friday.  Judy and I will be on hand the first two days and then every Saturday until January 6 when the show closes.  If I'm not too nervous I might even try some demonstration whittling.    I'll try my best to post a video of the display before the doors open.  Even better I hope those of you who can make the trip up or down to Woolaroc Museum will stop in and take a look.

Dayton Show Results

I'm not one who usually brags but several of you have ask how I did at the show so here are the results of the competitions I entered:

Bust..................1st   Rough Night  
-                              2nd  Red Horse        
Single Figure..... 1st...Sorry Boys!  It's Beans Again!
-                               2nd..The Pot Seller
Figure 15"......... 1st..Any Complaints?
Group................1st ..The Boss
-                               HM..Slim Pickins'

Best of Category....1st
-                                    2nd

As always, the competition was pretty tough and there were some new carvers who only added to that.  Needless to say, I'm more than satisfied with the results.    Now, with the CCA being the featured exhibit next year, and being that their display will be directly across from mine, I'd better get busy cranking out some new pieces.

For those of you who missed the opportunity to attend this event you really ought to make plans to put it on your things to do.  It's clearly the largest and best organized event in woodcarving you'll ever find and it just seems to get better each year.

The Grinch - Painted

I got this character painted yesterday.  I was worried about the green but with a little Midnight Blue and Yellow mixed in for shading he turned out pretty good.  The red and white really amplify that face.

Hope you like him.