This is a bowl that I turned for the Nova Woodturners’ Guild Annual Fun Turn. Each year we are given a block of wood for this event, usually 6″ X 6″ X 3″. However, this year the block was 8″X8″X3″. We can turn anything we want. The only criteria is that we have fun. This project certainly fit the criteria because it sure was fun.

The bowl is made of Maple and it is approximately two and a half inches tall and just over seven inches in diameter. After turning it was carved and then burnt. Yes, burnt. I took a propane torch to it (this is where the fun really began ) and charred the whole thing except for the center bowl.

I was really surprised at how hard this was to do. I expected that the wood would go up in flames but it didn’t. I really had to keep the torch on it for a long time to get the charring that I wanted. You can see in the following photos where the flame didn’t char between a lot of the carved grooves. This worked in my favour, giving a neat effect.

Continue reading 'Carved And Burnt Maple Bowl'

While writing the previous article on the English Gentleman’s Walking Stick I was reminded of a few hiking sticks that I made over the past couple of years.

I made a couple of them by turning decorative knob handles that sit atop perfectly straight shafts of exotic woods of unknown origin (honestly, they’re just commercially made push broom handles ) and a couple of them were made from young Birch trees that I cut, peeled and carved.

Each one is about 56″ (142cm) long and from 1 1/8″ – 1 1/4″ (2.5cm – 3cm) in diameter. They are all finished with just a couple of coatings of tung oil. One of the carved ones had a bit of stain brushed on to darken the carving.

Here are some more photos showing a closer look of the top of the hiking sticks:

Continue reading 'And Speaking Of Walking Sticks…'

John Leeder was on hand the Friday prior to the 2009 NSWCAA Carving Competition for a couple of woodcarving related workshops. I was able to attend his afternoon workshop on ‘Making Feet For Birds’.

This was a workshop for those that wanted to take their carving to the next level by making their own feet for bird or waterfowl carvings from scratch. Although I do not have an immediate need for such information I wanted to learn the process for future use.

John has been carving for over 25 years and is both a sculptor and an instructor. He has won over 20 ‘Best Of Show’ titles and in 2006 he had a second place finish with his miniature carving, ‘Mourning Doves’, in the World Level at the Ward Worlds championship. He was also accepted into the 1999 and 2003 juried exhibition, ‘Birds In Art’. His wildlife sculptures are displayed in several art galleries across Canada and the United States.

Prior to taking up carving full-time John worked as a bird of prey trainer and a wildlife biologist (he received an honors degree in wildlife biology from the University of Guelph).

Here is a photo of John and his sculpture titled ‘Akwesasne’, which is a Mohawk word meaning, appropriately enough, ‘land where the partridge drums’:

Continue reading 'Sitting In On A John Leeder Workshop'

This past weekend the NSWCAA’s 20th Annual Atlantic Wildlife Carving Competition And Show was held and what a competition and showing it was! There were hundreds of beautiful wildlife carvings in a wide range of styles and experience levels.

This is a competition that has been held every year since the fall of 1989 and is open to all carvers. Ribbons, trophies and prizes are awarded in Youth, Novice, Intermediate and Open classes. Judges for the competition are invited from across Canada and The United States and are master carvers and world class authorities on wildlife art.

The judge for this year’s competition was Ward World winner, John Leeder. John is a full-time sculptor and a part-time carving instructor. He has been carving for over 25 years with notable carvings such as ‘Mourning Doves’ and ‘Barnyard Gang’.

The Nova Scotia Wildlife Carvers and Artists Association (NSWCAA) was formed in 1989 and now has members throughout the Maritimes and Newfoundland. Some club members have advanced to world class artists, bringing home ribbons from the Ward World Competition in Ocean City, Maryland.

Here are a lot of photos of the competition entries:

Continue reading '2009 NSWCAA Carving Competition'