The Top Hand - Bust

Here's one I did the other day.  It's a good sized piece when compared to the normal busts....standing about 15" with the base.  It's certainly no easier to carve a larger piece but it gives you the opportunity to expand the details a little in both carving and painting.  Most importantly, it raises your piece to a different level than what is normally seen and that's what I'm after.  The hat is the type worn in the northwestern areas of cowboy country.

Just the one photo so far.  Hope you like him and your comments are always welcome.

The Coal Miner - Part 12 - The Body

I put the pattern for the profile of this guy in the Gallery album.

The Coal Miner - Part 11 - Priming the Hat

In this one we prime the hat and look forward to starting the body.

The Coal Miner - Part 9 - The Lamp

Part 9-The Lamp from Out West Woodcarving Videos on Vimeo.

Attachments - Legal or Illegal?

Slowmover brought up an excellent question as a comment on the Part 8 video.  Here it is along with my views on the matter:

Neat technique.....nobody could ever carve a bill that thin, and it is looking so natural. I want to ask you if you ever run into resistance at shows due to the metal and other material attachments and adornments on your carvings. We have a contest every two months at our club, and it was last weekend. I took in a cowboy that I had used low dome tacks to make conchos around his hat band..looked really good to me. The first words out of the mouth of one of the old timers in the club were "You can't put that in the show (meaning this fall, our big show) it has metal on it". Not wanting to argue or any controversy at a meeting I just smiled and said Don't it look pretty? (as an aside, it took first in the intermediate category, voted on by members present at the meeting) I sure like the look that the tacks, reins on horses, etc give, but really don't want a fight at our show this fall. Our rules just say made of wood...so technically they have a point. I just wondered how much push you get at the big shows.

To put it bluntly, I couldn't care less about what others might think about what might be considered allowed or not allowed.  I look at my efforts as 'sculpture' not necessarily woodcarvings. Wood is just one of the mediums I use.  Granted, it might be the main one but it will never be the only one.  If I can come up with a way to enhance the look that I'm after that might be made from materials other than wood I'll certainly check it out to see if it will work.   As for my entering my pieces into competition I've never had any problems.  Quite the contrary, they must be considered acceptable as they've managed to win their share of awards against the stiffest competitors.  That makes me feel especially good as the judges recognize that pushing the envelope is not something we should shy away from.   Naturally, there are those old mossbacks that continue to profess there is only one, true road that everyone should follow.  To those I say "Bunk!"  Get the hell out of my way!

The Coal Miner - Part 8 - The Hat Bill

The Coal MinerPart 8 -The Hat Bill from Out West Woodcarving Videos on Vimeo.

The Coal Miner - Part 7- The Hat

Coal Miner - Part-7- The Hat from Out West Woodcarving Videos on Vimeo.

The Coal Miner - Part 6 - The Eyes

Had to revert back to the MP4 format as the length of this video was just too long for an HD upload.  Sorry.

Coal Miner - Part 6 - The Eyes from Out West Woodcarving Videos on Vimeo.

Okay....here's an edited HD version.

Coal Miner - Part-6-HD Close Up-Mustache & Ear from Out West Woodcarving Videos on Vimeo.

The Out West Shop Gets A Facelift!

The painters finished up today.  Good thing as the weather is turning cold and there's snow in the forecast.  I've been wanting to paint the place just about since we bought it over  23 years ago.  How's that for procrastination?  Having too much fun with other things I guess.   Anyway, it's done now and I can finally get back inside and get busy again.  Are you 'Green' with envy?

The Coal Miner - Part 5 - Mustache & Ears

Coal Miner - Part-5-Mustache & Ear from Out West Woodcarving Videos on Vimeo.