some more carvings

[Griff]

Did these a few months ago, there all dotted around the garden. And made a fishing preist.

[wisewood]

The priest is lovely mate, and your owls are definitely evolving:thumbup1:

What are you doing for the eyes?

Eyes can be tricky, a way around them and something I often do myself is to carve them asleep.

[Griff]

cheers wisewood, yea the eyes are hard to do. sleeping owl is a good idea! have had problems with the wood cracking on some of them do u guys usually just leave the wood to season before carving? some wood seemed ok like hornbeam an syci but others cracked, proberbly need to leave it to dry out longer? cheers

Griff

[wisewood]

  Griff said:

cheers wisewood, yea the eyes are hard to do. sleeping owl is a good idea! have had problems with the wood cracking on some of them do u guys usually just leave the wood to season before carving? some wood seemed ok like hornbeam an syci but others cracked, proberbly need to leave it to dry out longer? cheers

Griff

 

I can't work out how to link another thread to this but there's some invaluable info on "monthly arb contest" thread about half way down the latest carving page. Some great insights from Tommy treecarver.

[MAB]

i use an 'eye tool' to create open eyes. these can be left with the burnt finish or painted.

I often carve the eyes closed (as in the large owl on my avitar picture)

 

i see it as, most folk will see them in the day time when owls would be sleeping anyway

 

cheers