[Steve Grimaud]

I've "somehow" gotten stuck making ornaments for my family. Last year I made an egg shaped Santa from Wayne Shinlever (http://www.carvingsbywayne.com/). This year I'm working from the WCI article done by Mark Gargac plus the fantastic tutorials on line here from him.

Here are two, one painted, one ready to paint, I've done. I've finished 5 (including these two) and am done with the face and beard on number 6. The end is in sight!

Let me know what you think of them.

[Iowa Carver]

Great looking ornaments. You did a nice job!

Corey

[Kenny_S]

Really nice ornaments in both carving and paint.

[RonB]

Steve good job, I too got requests from the family after I did one, finished 6 also, yours are much better than mine,
Ron

[Jim OH]

Hi Steve, Good job on the Santas. I am about to start on some myself! The carving and painting on yours look great. The only suggestion I have, for what it is worth, is I always have the eyes looking anywhere except straight ahead. If ya have them both centered and looking straight they look bug eyed, at least the ones I try to paint do. Looking forward to seeing the rest of them! Good work, I know the family will be pleased!
Jim OH

[K Karver]

Hi Steve, I agree with Jim, the eyes look better off to the side or more hooded as you see in some carvings. If I get to pick you send me the unpainted one. I like the hat on it better. It doesn't dominate the carving as much as the painted one seems to do. They are, however, both very nice.

John K Karver

[gene messer]

Beautiful job steve ... your facial features are great ..

Gene

[Steve Grimaud]

Thanks, guys. I'll try the last two (unpainted one in the picture and one I'm just starting) with eyes to one side or the other. I've tried at times to do the "hooded eye," but haven't been successful. I saw an ornament by Wayne Shinlever (Page 1) that I like - just a bit of a trick to reproduce.

[susieq]

Nice job on the ornaments, Steve. Your family are lucky folks. Regarding painting eyes, a friend who is a very good painter shared a secret with me a long time ago. The iris should almost fill the eye, leaving only a small amount of white showing. You imagine the rounded top and bottom of the iris up under the eye lids top and bottom. Next, make sure that the pupil is also quite large, leaving only a small ring of colored iris around the edge of the pupil. Don't forget to put the little tiny dot or dash of white in the same place in both eyes, looking like a light reflection. This type of eye softens the expression of the figure and avoids that startled, crazy or bug eyed look that you see sometimes.

[Marci MN]

They look great! I"ve been wanting to try them too..but I'm not sure on how to carve wrinkles in the hat.. :S You have a lucky family for sure!!