[MJC4]

Last weekend I hosted a carving seminar at the local state park. I brought along a few of my walking sticks as well as an assortment of other carvings. Well the only pieces that sold were the good old wood spirits. I am trying to expand my horizons by carving birds and other animals but the folks around these parts seem to be enamored by the venerable wood spirit walking stick. Much as I don't want to become a one trick pony the public is forcing my hand if I want to sell a piece or two. Ah well the cash from the sales will come in handy for tools as my belt sander took a crap and my rotary tool is getting a bit dicey.

I had a request for two spirit sticks after the carving seminar so here is spirit #1. He is made from aspen. The aspen was stained with a maple gel stain, then the spirit was carved, highlighted with the wood burner and the face was washed with a honey brown acrylic to give the carving a nice contrast from the darker stick. As per my usual the stick has a 4 strand paracord braided lanyard, this one is black & camo. I got a piece of advice from one of my carving club members about eyes. He said painting the eyes on a spirit really brings the carving to life and I agree. This ones eyes are wine red. Makes him a bit menacing I think. Thanks for looking

Mark

 

[RATTY]

really nice faces there . i love doing the spirits , i just need to refine the noses a bit better myself as i always seem to struggle with them a little.

 

[CV3]

Just do the request when it means funding tools and then do what you want. I have found over time that often peoples don't know what they want tell the see it. And carving what you want keeps it fun!

 

[cobalt]

if you get the price you want then thats fine . But i think CV right people dont know what they want. but a sale is a sale but if you show other items it will increase your long term portential sales and people are more llikely to approach you for differnt items .which will increase the price you can atain.

The items i have been doing in back to the workshop have been sold even though I had intended some as Christmas pressy.,haven't fnished them yet. even the blank perigrine falcon and the dodo i was doing for myself. These where sold from a previous falcon stick i made as the person who had it does a lot of walking in groups. so the more you do the more your potential sales are.

Folk art is very popular in the state and sits well into the category pretty sure it wouldn't go down well here

There are some amazing American wild life artists who carve yet very few seem to do walking sticks often wonder why