Sleepy Owl, rampant rabbit

[dervishcarving]

Ok, a piece i did recently. Poplar tree that was damaged in high winds last year and brought down to leave a stump 6 foot high. I had planed for a much smaller stump so had to kind of make it up as i went along. Poplar is v strange to carve, its like willow. Carves easy but 'burs' up very easily when cutting across the grain.

I made the owl sleeping (hence 'sleepy' the owl) and the rabbit standing on his hind legs (hence rampant) hiding round the back. The flower/leaves/grass stalks at the front are all carved proud of the trunk but i left the actual flower-head attached at one point just to give some stability (i dont think poplar has much strength).

Photo taken on my phone so not great resolution

[splinters]

you got it finished then. i like the rabbit at the bottom it just adds that bit more to look at. is that the back end of a 181 i see in the photo. bloody good saw you got there.

[dervishcarving]

Cheers. Without the Rabbit it would be very dull... a Wol on a stump. The rabbit and the flowers/etc add some interest to teh stump. I got some detail on the rabbit.. his back/bum is properly 'furry' and his ears are hollowed out and teh flower petals/leafs are all concave. The 181 was a godsend, without it i would not have been able to get the proper details in... nor would i have been able to hollow out under the rabbits forelegs or anything. Got it off some chap who was upgrading, indebted to him

When i get back form the states lets organis a meet to carve and bleather?