a New Branch Ornament

[GaryMc]

Well heres another one, this one is out of Holley and it is Hard stuff!
GaryMc Talking

[Thor]

Excellent! Great detail being highlighted with the dark lines.

[Ashbys]

Looks great Gary .

Ash

[Callynne]

Great job, GaryMc, thanks for sharing him with us. Makes me want to do some more ornaments....so much to carve, so little time!! Callynne

[Lightningbolt]

I really like the way that all the deep detail is accented with the darker color. This technique really makes something like a Christmas tree ornament stand out and when there can be tons of ornaments on a tree I know that this fellow can rest assured that he will be seen!

Never carved holly before but it's been on my list for quite a while. Good to hear of some good results including the warning about how hard it can be. Thanks!

[GaryMc]

Thanks for the great comments, I am trying to work out some new painting techniques, but when I go look at some of Callyanne's or Terri's or Nancy"s work I almost get discourged.
GaryMc

[Mottles]

Gary, I like the variety in appearance of your santa's you are sharing. I do have a question have you carved on juniper wood. Here in my neck of the high desert we have a lot of juniper tree's. I love the smell of it's wood when freshly cut. I have used it for primitive pottery firing, but now look at it in a different way. CARVING! grin There is also a lot of pine tree's with limbs just laying on the ground (pine bark beedle).
Kathy

[GaryMc]

Hello Kathy,
Thanks for the comments! I am having a ball doing the ornaments. I have never carved any Juniper, there isnt any around ALabama but I would love to carve and turn some. I just have been picking up storm damaged branches and limbs around here, most of the time I don't even know what kind and carving them. I have another branch ornament that I am painting now and hope to finish tonight, it was some hard wood! You ought to try your hand a a simple branch ornament in Juniper!
Thanks!
GaryMc Talking

[Mottles]

Thumbs Up Hi Gary: Looks like your going to have some terrific santa tree trimmers for your tree. It's great to get excited about our hobby's and you have every right too. Wonderful work!

As for the juniper I will give it a try need to go collect some limbs. When freshly cut the juniper smells simular to cedar makes the jeep smell nice. Today one of my Tuesday open studio (garage/shop) painting friends brought me a 'cottonwood root' (12" tall and 2" across). She remembered last week I'd mentioned I wanted to try my hand at carving a tree spirit. I don't have any carving tools and I'm waiting for my Stubai bench knife which is on back order. So this gives me time to think and research how I want to tackle the project. First time so gosh knows how it will all turn out. The Native Americans in Arizona and New Mexico prize the cottonwood root carving them for katchina dolls. Highly prized and very expensive! As these dolls have a regilous meaning they don't appreciate non-native Americans carving Katchina's. I don't think they'll mind a tree spirit though.
Kathy