Authentic Nautical Accessories, and Custom Furnishings
Figureheads get lots of attention in maritime museum exhibits. There are even museum collections of figureheads lost at sea. Often, the names of the ships they graced are unknown. If we knew, we could reconstruct a travelogue of all the ports they'd seen. But many ships lacked figureheads. The old figure went overboard in a …
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a Drummer was not just a percussionist. A drummer was a traveling salesman who'd make the rounds with tools, clothes, or anything else you might wish to purchase but could not easily find at the small retail establishments in your town. Think no internet, no Walmart, and few …
Yesterday, I spent a significant part of the day working on a carving of a large schooner. I based it on research I did for an earlier schooner built by the same yard around the same time in the late 19th century. I used skills acquired in the earlier carving to ease the work on …
Photographs help me remember steps and processes. Years ago, I used photography only to record the results. But pictures of the in-between stages were more than a bit helpful. One of the big reasons I say this is because there are some things that I only do rarely. Reminders are valuable.I need to be a …
If you studied economics, process engineering or are an enthusiast of popular psychology, you might have heard of the Sunk Cost Fallacy. It's alive and well in woodcarving too. Sunk costs are costs you have paid and can't get back. That's fine if everything works out. But if the project just hasn't been the success …
This is my second run at the Steam Yacht Zaida. I've used different techniques and am more satisfied with the outcome.
I found the wood sitting in the shorts at my favorite hardwood dealer. It was very dark, heavy, and dense. It was mahogany but so dark and heavy that I felt it was a wayward piece of Dominican, not Honduran. It was just what I wanted.
We all want to be instant experts. One of my sensei describes this in terms of the training montages that are standard fare in martial arts movies; the neophyte progresses from clumsy beginner to skilled pro in thirty seconds of cinematic snapshots.
I admit that the sort of non complex carving that happens when I carve a small bowl is pretty alluring. No antsy detail. No pattern that needs to be followed. Just follow the will of the wood.
We can easily get lost in the weeds talking about tradition in crafts.
This chest was not in stock long enough for me to do a proper set of photos. It sold at it's first appearance at the Maine Boatbuilder's Show to a pair of Boston Harbor pilots who were going to give it as a retirement gift to a colleague.
As consumers, there is much that you don't know about your favorite woods.
It sails on my wall with a cherry ocean and sky heading east from Japan or China towards Los Angelos. I think my father is pleased that his ship is restored to an essential place in our lives, through the unexpected kindness of a fellow seaman.
While teaching, I always like to decorate the workshop with carving examples for students to use as a reference. Week-long excursions to teach away from home mean emptying the house of many of my carvings. But samples in three dimensions often are better than pictures or demonstration, and the extra work was worth it.
The problem with imagination is that it's boundless. On the wall is a poster telling you that you can do it if you can imagine it. Don't take it too literally.
My Macintosh computer came preloaded with a bunch of stuff I never use. Even if you are on a Windows or Linux machine, I'll bet that there is a row of icons that you've rarely opened. On my machine, there are also a bunch of programs that I have recently refused updates for. At this …
I was standing in a small town outside a small city in Nova Scotia last week. The person I was talking with gestured with pride to a group of small homes like attractive boxes scattered on the countryside above a cove., All the homes were recently redone. He mentioned that five years ago you could …
And the number is 750: Max and Marcus at play Many wives only wish... Sabrina posing on her chair A favorite cartoon no parking sign - Rockport,MA Small boat box Boarding plank carving on the USS Constitution. An AI illustration that decorated my post on my cat Clancy's tendency to "play" game with me. Max …
It happens with a tiring regularity. Things are tough, and a popular movement fronted by a demagogue promises that the solution is easy - just put them in charge. Il Duce, or whatever the jerk wishes to be called, breaks lots of eggs for the omelet, but things get worse, not better. Easy doesn't do …
Sometimes it's the simplest of things you'll miss most. We are exhausted, and just unpacking from the cruise. We'll have to get used to making our own bed, cooking, making coffee, and serving ourselves meals. I have to admit I didn't suspect that I'd get used to that sort of luxury. But I did. Just …
In the fall, I'll normally do a few craft shows in my local area to try out small products. I pretty much know in advance that I will not sell any large items, like boat portraits, and I don't even try. But every year I work on three or four simple items that might hit …
"Do you think we’re shaped more by our experiences or by who we are?" What's the premise here? Basically that we are wired, versus an ability to choose and alter the programming. Throughout undergrad and grad school I listened to various lectures, arguments and rambling discourses on this in anthropology courses, and student discussions. I acknowledge that …
The question was raised, "If we were to be an animal for a week, which would it be?" I've run into this one before, and I've frequently wondered if the asker is so arrogant that they are among the bores who place humans off to one side and not part of the animal kingdom, or …
Not to be scatological, but one piece of technology I believe will continue to exist in twenty years will be the porcelain throne in the bathroom. It is about as fundamental a piece of technology as you can get. While other old goodies considered state of the art will be tossed aside to gather mold. …
One of the most thumbed over, bookmarked, and dogeared books (no excuse me, I own two copies of it (!)), is Jay Hanna's The Marine Carving Handbook. I bought a copy as soon as it was published because I was living in Mid-Coast Maine and my father-in-law had plans for me to make money carving …
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