[Gary M. Peiffer]

Hello all,

With Halloween coming a week from today, and the Conewago Carvers Woodcarving and Wildlife show this weekend, I thought it wood be appropriate to post a caricature of a Halloween Cat and a group of Phantoms with a pumpkin (see link below, and scroll down page...you will come across the cat first.).

http://grogansite.homestead.com/HALLOWEEN.html

I plan to enter the cat in the Halloween theme carving competition at the Conewago Carvers show this weekend. If you are in the south central PA area, this show is held in East Berlin, PA at the Community Center.

http://conewagocarvers.tripod.com/show.htm

The phantoms and pumpkin were carved for fun and I plan to sell these guys at the show!

Let me know what you think of the cat and phantoms!

Halloween!

Gary

[Mottles]

Gary wow nice work I love the expression on the cats and the fact that the ghost aren't scary. Good luck at the show!
Kathy

[Colin_Partridge]

Good luck Gary I am sure you have a winner there. Love the carvings very good charicature really love the expression on the cat and the phantons. BTW were the phantoms with the pumkin carved out of one block of wood. Excellent work and thanks for sharing very inspirational.
Colin

[Gary M. Peiffer]

Colin and Kathy,

Thanks for the kind responses!

To answer your question Colin, the phantoms and pumpkin were carved from the same stock of pine, but individually cut into blanks and carved. I grouped them together for the "Class of 2005" photo. I am sure the gang will be dispersed and all over my table at the Conewago Carvers show this weekend!

Halloween to al!

Gary

[BobD]

Great to see you on the board again Gary...It looks like you have been busy!

Bob

Gary, Really enjoyed your trick-or-treat cat, love the paint job too. Good luck at the show, its nice to have carvings around the house for each new special holiday, I have a witch displayed in our kitchen, carved from scrap wood, but the neighbors and friends love coming over and seeing whats new. Again, great carvings and set them out for everyone to see.

[Thor]

Your cat must have taken forever to get all of the detail in the painting. Wonderful job. I like that his little trick or treat pumpkin is carved separately.
Great ghosts too. I like them in a group like that with the pumpkin for color. Great display, and good luck at the show. Please let us know how it goes for you and your carvings.
Thor

[Gary M. Peiffer]

Hi All,

Thanks for the comments!

Had a great show seeing old carving friends and even meeting a few. Vic Hood was the guest carvers and I enjoyed speaking with him!

My Halloween Cat placed a respectable second in the Theme carving contest. First went to a dear friend, Rose Huth, who did a witch with and a cauldron carving that was just fantastic. Speaking of the cat, a few of you commented about the paint job. I always seem to be slow and extra cautious with painting, hoping not to screw up. However, for this cat, I took the approach that my carving instructors seem to take: the so called slop painting method.

Slop painting seems to be an approach where you move quickly along, but not too quickly where you make mistakes. It is also essential if you want to "blend" colors on the piece rather than the palette. (Otherwise, the paint dries on the piece, and you cannot blend with a second color). So, my first big attempt at "slop painting" on a piece seems to have worked.

Now that the show is over, it is time to start new carvings for the Lancaster County Carvers Show in March 2006 (Hey Bob, I hope to see you there!).

Regards,

Gary

[Thor]

Congratulations on placing in the show! Good job.
Slop painting huh? It looked good to me.
Thor

[Mottles]

CONGRATULATIONS! WAHOO
Kathy