I have a full load on my plate at the moment. The holidays are here, and the slow march toward Christmas has begun. I truly enjoy that. But try to find the darned “early Christmas” box of decorations. The one marked as such was not as advertised.
Then the shop. Yesterday I finished buffing about forty pieces of treen – spoons, spatulas, and forks. Today I have three cutting boards, about ten soft cheese spreaders, and some laser work to complete.
Then there is the portrait of the schooner Ada Bailey lying on the hard somewhere in the shop, demanding that I finish the groundwork so the sails can be carved, and the sails seem filled with wind. A proper carving of a proper schooner, not just a sketch and some half-finished background.
Then in the project box is the thirty-six-inch eagle, its banner, and the uncarved head. It would screech for attention, except I haven’t carved the head yet. I always carve the head, especially the eye, so the birdie can watch what I do to the plumage. But this time of year, there is too much to get out first.
Beneath the eagle, sulking in the project box, are lower-priority items. I do not want to dig down there. It’s too damn embarrassing.
So that’s what I have on my plate. I don’t dare show a photo of what the shop looks like now: sawdust, chips, filter masks, scraps, blanks waiting for the knife and gouge—a mess.
I love that shot of your tools – must be pretty intricate work. Impressive.
Like most carvers, I do 80 % of my work with about twenty tools. The other 200 are for occasional needs, and to make the place look important.