Authentic Nautical Accessories, and Custom Furnishings
Creativity is a strange beast. It's river-like in that it's dynamic and can change channels, bringing life to one and allowing others to dry up. You are a fortunate person to have more than one viable channel.This observation came to me when I unearthed sketches and paintings from the very late 1960s. No, they aren't …
Continue reading "Flashback Friday – from October 11, 2o21 – Like a River"
Right now, I am hip-deep in trying to find the essential tools I need in an updated software package. My needs are pretty simple. I manipulate type for carving quarter boards, banners, and maritime doodads. I also manipulate images for carving and laser burning. When the makers of my three software packages decide to break …
People starting out in carving sometimes ask me for advice. I think they expect me to come up with some impressive Koan of karmic wisdom—follow the wood, trust in the wood, or thank the wood—but I'm just not that much of a Zen sort of guy.Instead of mystical wisdom, I offer straightforward and practical advice: …
After everything has been tempered in boiling water, it is allowed to dry thoroughly and then given a fine sanding. At this point, I touch up the bowls and any obstinate patches. At last, the spoons, forks, and spatulas are given a final wet sanding using mineral oil. I use a "wet and dry" 400 …
This cherry bowl is about ten and a half inches in diameter. It was a slow project that sat around the shop for over a month after being hollowed. I didn't know what I wanted to do with the ends, so I eventually did each differently. Nobody awaited this piece, so there was no pressure …
Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Tempering is one of the final steps in finishing a piece of treen. The spoons, spatulas, forks, and such get put into a large pot of water and boiled and simmered for a while. The process raises any irregular grain left after the preliminary sanding …
Sometimes, being away from something for a while allows you to examine your old style of doing things and break free. This is one of the reasons I've always deliberately taken breaks from carving in December and January. I don't carve. Instead, I think about design. I go to books, the internet, or museums for …
Continue reading "Stream of Consciousness Saturday – the dry spell"
I have to increase the stock of items I have depleted. And I have begun planning for one of three new ship portraits I have in the offing. The shop is a mess. But a creative one.
Boat shows, street fairs, festivals, and other events teach you a lot about human nature. You run into all types. You meet petty thieves who are out to steal a spoon off the table. And thieves who are interested in stealing intellectual property. The latter secretly try to take photos of your work to show …
Experimentation is part of the fun of woodworking—the all-important part that separates your experience's past from its future. The other day, I was messing about in the shop, and a new ( at least to me) method of smoothing spoon bowls came to mind. To back up a bit, I design my spoons with various …
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