Bas-relief of Gorilla (work in progress) (started Feb-2000, have been on the back-burner ever since)

Feamle Statue (started 8-Mar-2024; H:28", W:9½", D:5½") Statue made from basswood
See the Female Statue for more details.

Woodburning (Oct-2023 to Feb-2024; H:9", W:13", D:¾") I followed the courses in woodburning by Linda Forseth at Lee Valley in July, August and November 2007. Then in October 2008 I followed a Feather Brooches course at Lee Valley by Rick Wolcott.

After mij Cat with Bottle (see below) I started with the wolf project out of Sue Walters' Workbook: Wolf, an Advanced Project. I worked on it on and off. Elapsed time 4½ months and I estimate my actual burning time around 20 hours.

Woodburning (Feb & Mar-2023; H:11", W:8", D:¾") I followed the courses in woodburning by Linda Forseth at Lee Valley in July, August and November 2007. Then in October 2008 I followed a Feather Brooches course at Lee Valley by Rick Wolcott.

After I finished the Bluenose schooner I desparately needed another project, so I studied the Pyrography Workbook, A Complete Guide to the Art of Woodburning, by Sue Walters. Practiced on a piece of basswood and then did the Pond with Ducks. And finally I did the Cat with Bottle. I worked in short sessions doing small areas, came back the next day and check my progress.

My next project will be out of Sue Walters' Workbook: Wolf, an Advanced Project.

Puzzle Box Stand (Nov-2020; H:9½", W:9½", D:4", 1½ hour) The top of a jigsaw puzzle box can be held straight up or leaning backwards.

Bluenose Schooner (1-Feb-2018 to 13-Jan-2023; 555 hours) scale 1:48, length 44" (112 cm), width 6-3/4" (17 cm), height 35-1/2" (90 cm).

The original Bluenose fishing and racing schooner was the pride of the province Nova Scotia in Canada. Later on a copy was made called the Bluenose II which is now used for tourism.

See the Bluenose project for more details.

Custom Desk Top (Mar-2020; L:87¼", W:26", 56 hours, oak plywood)

Made for the daughter of a friend. A loose custom sized desk top resting on two different sized triangular pedestals. Used as much 3/4" new furniture quality red oak plywood. For the right pedestal leftover pre-stained/varnished 3/4" plywood was re-used. The last picture shows the cutom desk top stained, varnished and in use.

Canning Rack (Jan-2020; W:10½" round, T:1½", 10 hours, red cedar)

The rack will be used at the bottom of my canning pot. Glass jam jars will make a hell of a noise when boiling in the canning pot on the metal bottom of the pot, plus the high risk of cracking the jars.

Magnetic Sandboxes (Dec-2019; W:6 cm, H:6 cm, T:1.2 cm, 10 hours, red cedar)

I made these as an Christmas gift for a friend. Basically a hollowed out red oak box, with text glued to the bottom, half filled with coloured sand, and covered with plexiglass. The box has a magnetic backing so that it can be put vertically on a metal surface like fridge, dishwasher, etc.. The box shows one text and turned upside down it shows the other text.

Totem Plaque (Nov-2019; W:9½", H;14", 13 hours, red cedar)

West Coast Native carving class given by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. This time we did the painting before we did the carving. As usual Rick had many Native stories to tell.

Picture frame with woodburned images (Dec-2017; W:17½", H;20½", edge:3½")

I had not done very much woodburning for 10 years, and decided to give it a try again. My woodburning skills can use some improvements as you can see on this high resolution image. I believe poplar is not the nicest wood to burn.

Wheelbarrow (Nov-2017; L: 41", W:24", H:18", red cedar and red oak)

In 2002 we saw this wheelbarrow in Enchanted Forest, just outside Three Valley Gap, British Columbia. I took a picture, and several years later I converted the picrture in a measured ddrawing a made the wheelbarrow. The wheel was made from plywood and had rotted away over the years. So this year I made a new wheel from leftover red oak and repainted the wheelbarrow. Coming sspring we will plant geraniums in the wheelbarrow.

West Coast Wolf Plaque (3 & 4-Jun-2017; 11 hours; W:7", H:9", red cedar)

West Coast Native carving class given by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. Wolf looking over its shoulder with Tail on the left and paw on the right. As usual Rick had many Native stories to tell.

"Carved" Yellow Rose (14-Feb-2017 to 3-Apr-2017; 28¾ hours; L:5¼", W:4½", H:2½")
rose diameter: 3½", total weight 28 grams (1 oz)

The rose is made from some leftover tupelo wood, and carved following the instructions of John Hagensick's book Carving the Rose (The Only Completely Carved Step-by-Step Instructions On Carving The Rose. Revised Edition).

Most of the "carving" is done with diamond burrs or cutters using the Micro-Pro Champion Grinder Set from Mastercarver High-performance tools. Painting is done with Acrylic paints. See also the Carved Pink and Red Roses further down this page.

Tired Wolf Plaque (31-Mar & 1-Apr-2017; 13 hours; W:12", H:11", red cedar)

West Coast Native carving class given by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. What makes the wolf look "tired" is the crescent in the eye and the tonque hanging out of the mouth. Another fun class where Rick guides us through the carving and painting steps while telling Native stories.

Sisiutl Plaque (16 " 17-Feb-2017; 15 hours; W:23", H:5½", red cedar)

West Coast Native carving class given by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. The Sisiutl Plaque represents a mythological creature with two serpents (snakes with lightning strike capabilities). Often placed above doors or on houses as protection against enemies. This plaque is carved in the Kwakiutl or Kwakwaka'wakw style.

"Carved" Red Rose (27-Dec-2016 to 9-Feb-2017; 38¾ hours; L:5¼", W:4½", H:2½")
rose diameter: 3½", total weight 30 grams (1 oz)

The rose is made from some leftover tupelo wood, and carved following the instructions of John Hagensick's book Carving the Rose (The Only Completely Carved Step-by-Step Instructions On Carving The Rose. Revised Edition).

Most of the "carving" is done with diamond burrs or cutters using the Micro-Pro Champion Grinder Set from Mastercarver High-performance tools. Painting is done with Liquitex Acrylic Paints. See also the Carved Pink Rose further down this page.

2016 Xmas Ornaments

After three winters working on the construction of the scale model of the Dutch windmill, I decided to do some smaller projects this winter.

I decided to carve some Xmas ornaments; a challenge as this type of carving is different from the Native West Coast carving. Another challenges were finding examples and the ornaments had to be finished before Christmas.

I found a unpainted carved elf I did in a carving class somewhere in 1995. I also went through all the 1995 to 2009 issues of the carving magazine Chip Chats. Selected 20 potential ornaments then narrowed it down to 8, and finally selected 5 ornaments to make. The ornaments are carved from tupelo and painted with Liquitex acrylic.

"Plumber" Santa -- Based on design/carving by Tom Blount (Chip Chats, issue 52-6, Nov-Dec 2005, page 55). Height: 2" (5 cm)

Elf -- Unfinished carving from a class I took somewhere in 1994/1995. It was actually one of my first carving projects. Height: 7" (18 cm)

Beggar caricature dog -- Based on design/carving by John Raucci (Chip Chats, issue 46-5, Sep-Oct 1999, back page). Height: 6" (15 cm)

Faith, Hope and Love Angels -- Based on 9½" intarsia work by Neal Toivonen (Chip Chats, issue 56-3, May-Jun 2009, page 45). Height: 4" (10 cm)

Trio of Santas -- Based on 3D carving by John Susin (Chip Chats, issue 52-6, Nov-Dec 2005, front and back page). Height: 5½" (14 cm)

Contemplative Claus -- Based on design by Don Burgdorf (Chip Chats, issue 49-6, Nov-Dec 2002, page 20). Height: 7½" (19 cm)

Soapstone Wolf medium 3D (17 to 26-Oct-2016; 5 hours; 12 cm by 8 cm by 5 cm)

A wolf carved from soapstone. Comes as a kit from Rubble Road, Soapstone Carving Kits containing the rough sawn soapstone, a rasp, three sheets of sand paper (60, 320, 600 grit), tung oil and instructions. Rough out the soapstone with the rasp (2nd picture) in a container with water. Then wet sand with 320 and finally 600 grit sand paper. Once the soapstone is dry apply a coat of Tung oil.

Here is where things went wrong. The wolf was smooth and clean before I applied the tung oil. I found the tung oil quite thick though. It took 6 weeks to have it dry to the touch. Upon inspection I found tthe head of the wolf not shiny while the bottom of the wolf had a thick layer of tung oil with lots of impurities included. I got quick advice from the owner of Rubble Road how to fix my problem.

In the end I sanded the wolf with 320 grit to get rid of the old tung oil layer, and then sanded with 600 grit to smooth it again. This time I sprayed the wolf with a very thin layer of Varathane clear satin finish. After that had dried for a day I applied some Pledge furniture spray on a soft lint-free cloth and rubbed the wolf in a few times until I got the desired shine.

West Coast Native Feather (1 and 2-Oct-2016; 17½ hours; 23" by 5" by ¾")

Another carving class given by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. The feather board is made from red cedar, rounded at the top and hollowed out at the back. The design is copied from Rick Wolcott and represents three hummingbirds.

Feather boards have no cultural significance; it is a modern day way of showing native decorations.

New Dutch windmill (28-Jan-2014 to 24-Jun-2016; 549½ hours) scale 1:16.7, base width 31", tower height 56", sail span 92".

The Zuid Hollanse Achtkant Watermolen plan is from De Muiderkring. This eight-sided windmill is from the province of Zuid Holland for pumping water out of polders. The head can turn in order to put the sails into the wind.
See the Dutch Windmill project for more details.

"Carved" Pink Rose (27-Oct-2015 to 8-Dec-2015; 45 hours; L:5¼", W:4½", H:2½")
rose diameter: 3½"), total weight 30 grams (1 oz)

The rose is made from some leftover tupelo wood, and carved following the instructions of John Hagensick's book Carving the Rose (The Only Completely Carved Step-by-Step Instructions On Carving The Rose. Revised Edition).

Most of the "carving" is done with diamond burrs or cutters using the Micro-Pro Champion Grinder Set from Mastercarver High-performance tools. Painting is done with Liquitex Acrylic Paints.

Railing (Oct-2014; material cost Can$230.00)

The stairs from our basement den to the main floor has only a railing on the right when going up. My wife has a bad right shoulder and asked me to install a railing also on the left side. Her wish is my command and so it came to pass that we now have railings on both sides of the stairs.

First step was finding the studs in the wall to screw the 12 Polished Bras Handrail Brackets onto (picture 1).

Next was to glue the 10 feet and 8 feet lengths of 1-5/8" X 2-1/2" solid red oak rail together, and trim and glue to top horizontal rail. All that using 3/8" round dowels. Maneuvering 18 feet of rail from the workshopshop through the den and up the stairs is an interesting exercise too. Dryfitting the rail onto the brackets and attaching the rail to the rail brackets was the next step (picture 2).

Followed by custom sizing the filler pieces and glueing them under the rail was the final construction step. Note that you can never have enough clamps (picture 3).

A trip back to the workshop to stained the rail in medium oak and varnish it with five coats of satin Waterborne Polycarbonate Interior Urethane Varnish matching the red oak finishes in our house. Followed with another trip from the workshop to the stairs and the final mounting on the rail brackets (picture 4).

Drying Rack (Jul-2014; 10 hours; open H:2", W:24", D:32"; folded H:4", W:24", D:16")

A friend of us needed a custom-sized drying rack for sweaters. Folded out it needed to fit on the limited countertop space, while ideally it should be folded to a size to fit in a drawer. In the end the folded drying rack fitted on top of the dryer.

I just happen to have a very nice leftover 3/4" aspen board for the sides. With some 5/8" hardwood dowels and a pair of narrow flip top hinges (typically used for card tables) the drying rack was easy to make. After gluing the dowels into the sides I also secured the joints with 1/8" dowels. After applying a soaking of a 50/50 mix of sealer and lacquer thinner the rack was protected against moisture and ready for use.

Duck Repair (Mar-2013)
Friends of us got a stylized carved duck, but their new dog did a number on the duck. They asked if I was willing to do some repairs, and I said yes.

I have never carved a duck head before. Secondly, I also noticed that, besides the damage cause by the dog, there was a flaw in the top of the head and the placement of the eyes. The original head was carved separately and easy to remove. A piece of leftover cedar from my sun mask project was just de right size to carve a new head from. The tough part was that the cedar was very hard plus it also had a knot in it. By looking at pictures I was able to carve the duck head, and because it was stylized that gave me some artistic license (freedom).

I tried to patch up the tail with Super Glue and dipping it in Baking Soda. Shaping can only be done with diamond files and diamond burrs, and I soon learned that this method is only suitable for small patches and not for repairing a large duck tail. Hence plan B where I chopped off the old tail, made a big mortise and glued in a new tail. After the glue had dried I shape the new tail.

Finished with final sanding, a coat of Golden Oak Danish Oil, brown shoe polish and finally an application of Mahogany Briwax while shining the duck.

Signs on graves of Beauty and Softie (Jan/Mar-2013; 25 hours; H:11", W:16¾", D:7/8")

The two sisters Beauty (black) and Softie (grey), joined our family in Feb-1997 at the age of about 9 months. They passed away within 9 days from each other from completely different causes in Oct/Nov-2012. The grave marker layout is based on that for our previous cat Stranger that I did in 1998.

The text was designed using bold Old English Text MT in MS Word 2010 at a size of 150. Then scaled it a bit to fit the grave marker. I used Honduran Mahogany, drew the cat pattern on it and cut it out with the bandsaw. Then I traced the text on the cat's body and used a chipcarving knife to cut the letters. Used some leftover material to attach a stake to the back, and applied a finish.

Squirrel (Feb-2013; 21 hours; H:8", W:3¼", D:6¼")

Carving class taught by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. Started with a pre-sawn basswood (Linden) blank. Used mainly a straight knife, a half-round gouge, a V-grove gouge, and a woodburner to create this little creature. Finished the project with dry-brush arcylic painting. A bit rushed at the end, but all in all the result was not too bad.

Westcoast Native Wolf rattle (16-Apr-2012 to 4-Jul-2012; 21 hours; H:4½", W:3½", L:7½", with handle 14")

Design and Red Cedar blank from my carving instructor, Rick Wolcott. The inside is hollowed out and filled with some beads. The handle was turned on a lathe from a leftover piece of hemlock.

Westcoast Native Wolfman (24-Nov-2011 to 6-May-2012; 58½ hours; H:27", W:14", D:1")

I copied the design from my carving instructor, Rick Wolcott, and carved the wolfman in Western red cedar under his guidance as well. With the colour differences you would not believe the wood was from a single board. I tested staining it, but that did not look right either. For colours I used Jo Sonja's Artists' Colours: Titanium White, Napthol Crimson, Cobalt Blue Hue and Carbon Black.
Later the gaps between the teeth were painted black which makes the teeth standout better.

Book Case (Jan-2012; 28 hours; W:71½", H:52¼", D:12¾")

Made from ¾" thick Procore red oak plywood. Each 4ft x 8ft sheet weighs 39 kg (86 lbs) and I needed 2 sheets! The top is edged with a decorative moulding. All joints are biscuit joints where each joint has (3) #20 biscuits. The shelves can be adjusted in 1" steps. The bookcase is stained medium oak and varnished with three coats of satin Waterborne Polycarbonate Interior Urethane Varnish.

Westcoast Native Sun Mask (15-Feb-2011 to 19-Dec-2011; 200 hours; H:62", W:58", D:8")

Own design and carving of a Westcoast Native Sun Mask under the guidance of my carving instructor, Rick Wolcott. The sheer size and complexity made this a large project.

See the Westcoast Native Sun Mask project for more details.

Chickadee (4, 5, 11, 12 Nov 2011; 19 hours)

Carving class taught by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. The whole process of carving the black capped chickadee from tupelo, detailing the feathers with a wood burner, inserting the eyes, painting and mounting the bird. Hopefully my next bird is much better.

Pugwis Mask (27/28 May 2011, 3/4 June 2011; 24 hours; H:10½" x W:11¾" x D:7¼")

Carving class taught by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. The Pugwis mask is based on the story of a chief not following the required purification rituals prior to going whale hunting. Once at sea a whale smashed their boat and the chief and his helpers all drowned. That chief is now walking in the water along the beach with no chance to get on land for a proper burial. Hence the white face and wrinkles from being in the water for so long. The mask was roughed out from 8" by 8" red cedar and painted white using Jo Sonja's Artists' Colours in velvet matte Titanium White. The hair is ??? T.B.D. ???

Westcoast Native Thunderbird (11 to 13-Mar-2011; 18½ hours; excluding stand H:5¼", W:3½", L:10¼")

A challenging but fun class under guidance of Rick Wolcott who provided the cut out red cedar blank made from 4" x 4" cedar. The ears are glued on. The bottom of the beak is attached with a piece of stiff leather. We painted with the usual Jo Sonja's Artists' Colours in velvet matte: Colony Blue, Vermillion, Titanium White and Carbon Black.

Bookshelves (Dec 2010/Jan 2011; 25¾ hours; H:36¼", W:76¾", D:9¼", shelf depth 9", distance between shelves 11")

Shelves are made from leftover ¾" red oak plywood. The sides and centre supports are made of leftover ¾" solid red oak. A bottom slat supports the weight of the wall unit, while a top slat holds the unit against the wall. The slats are anchored into the 2-by-4" wall studs with (8) 3" flooringscrews. The slats are attached to the wall unit with (10) 1½" flooring screws. All joints are biscuit joints where each joint has (3) #20 biscuits. The unit is stained medium oak and varnished with three coats of satin Acrylic Urethane Varnish.

Voodoo Queen Mask (5, 6, 12 and 13-Nov-2010; 19 hours; H:11½" x W:5½" x D:3")

Another fun carving class given by Rick Wolcott at Lee Valley. The true story of Marie Laveau (1794-1881), the most famous and powerful Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, gave Rick the idea for this class. Carved in red cedar and hollowed out on the back. The "hair" is ¼" dowels. After painting some light sanding gives the mask a weathered look.

Parquetry (30-Oct-2010; 7 hours; H:10" x W:8")

Another excellent seminar given by Janet Walker. Marquetry is the art of making pictures using different veneers and cutting free-hand style. Parquetry is the same but making geometrical patterns as can be seen from the picture; in this case a 24-point wind rose. The veener pattern is glued on a substrate. After careful sanding I applied white Shellac and then polished it with clear Briwax. Completed the project with a small wenge frame.

Wolf Bowl (5-Jul-2010 to 4-Nov-2010; 110 hours (43 in class + 67 homework); L:25" x W:11" x H:8")

Carving done under the guidance of instructor Rick Wolcott at the Cottage Pirouette B & B in Esquimalt, British Columbia. Started with 3 feet long logs of green elder which where split in half. The idea was to do traditional Native seal bowls, which were used to contain oil in which the dried salmon was dipped. Two of us decided to go for the more challenging wolf bowl instead. During the 5-day course we run into problems glueing extra pieces of wood on the wolf bowls for the head and tail; eventually that was solved by using underwater epoxy. Not surpising that the wolf bowl was not finished and much home work was still needed.

After 110 hours of carving I decided that the wolf bowl is done. Anymore carving will ruin the surface because the wood is getting too dry for clean cuts. Considering to give it a coat of Tung Oil.

Friendship Rings (May-2010; 3-5/8" x 2-1/2"; 9 cm x 6 cm)

Craved out of a single piece of 1/2" thick red oak which is very hard on the hands, but worth the effort. Sealed with Shellac and finished with natural Briwax.

Double Raven Mirror Plaque (19 to 21-Mar-2010; 13 hours; 15½" by 10")

Carving done under the guidance by instructor Rick Wolcott and hosted by Diamond Willow Artisan Retreat (since then closed). This Westcoast Native carving is done in Northern (Tlingit) style and made from 3/4" thick Western Red Cedar.

Grandfather Clock (2-Nov-2009 to 14-Mar-2010; 205¼ hours; 83¾" x 24¾" x 14¼")

The grandfather clock case is from red oak and the top of the line cable movement is the Kieninger HTU triple chime 8-day movement that plays the Westminster, Whittington and St. Michael melodies on nine full-length tubular bells.

See the grandfather clock project for more details.