April 11, 2012

practice, practice, practice

photo copyright Karin Corbin 2012


This pattern is really hard to cut because of all the curves, it frustrates me to do them because I can't get the big curves as even as I would like them to be. My hands are simply not yet fully trained for carving movements but day by day I am gaining on it.

This piece was from a piece of the free walnut wood I got the other week, nice and dark and the grain is OK, it carves nicely too. I think I will start making some trinket boxes out of the better practice pieces. One of these days I will have something good enough to use for furniture in my miniature cottage project. I need one or two chest, a table, dish cupboard, chairs, a bed, etc.

I have had to make a few more carving chisels, wish I had some more smaller gouges too. I had to switch out to my larger magnifying lamp and even the short pear handled gouges hit the lens. Always something to frustrate me while making miniatures...

5 comments:

Elga said...

It looks good Karin, and don't be too hard on yourself, I am slowly realizing there is only a certain amount of detail one can put into a miniature since we are working with full size grain. I constantly have to remind myself of this as I tend to be perfectionistic to a fault.

miraclechicken said...

Looking good!

Kathi said...

You've done a beautiful job with this! I am so impressed!!!!

Stan Firth said...

Apart from admiring the quality of your work, I love the pattern - I'm not familiar with it, do you know if it is traditional? In 40 years in the (UK) building industry, I never met this.

Karin Corbin said...

Stan,

It is based on a 17th century American pattern that was based on patterns used by the settlers from the UK. So it will seem familiar and pleasing but at the same time unfamiliar.

Just your basic compass layout pattern with the details created by the shapes and sizes of the gouges themselves.