Break

[PaPa Smurf]

do you ever just take a break, and get alway from it....I'm brand new, and I turn out some mass up work and start to feel a little low about my carving, everyone I know turns out some nice work....I feel like dum-bo, I don't want to pick it up...so I'm just laying back and watching.....is this wrong???? i'm not learning anything at this time for I'm not don't do anything, I've made all the firewood I need......

[TreeWizard]

"Practice makes perfect" or in my case it makes it a bit better each time I try something.

I think we all reach low points but you just have to "muddle" through.

Sometimes I turn out a piece I really like and then the next one doesn't make me happy at all. I like to blame it on the wood.

[Buffalo Bif]

Sometimes I just make shavings, and sweep them all away. Sometimes I just do a quick simple and usually ugly little project, trying to find a '5 minute' item (not there yet, last one was twenty minutes and it was still ugly). I'm always surprised at how ugly something can be and still get an Awww from my wife.....
And sometimes I just sharpen all my tools.
When I make a blunder on a larger project I try to focus on that and do some practice pieces, or cruise the forum here looking for examples to copy- eyes or nose, or whatever. I suck at eyes, so I don't put any on the pieces I whittle. Someday I'll get better and my little whittlings will be able to see....

[carlt]

Keep at it, I think you will find that each piece will have some improvement from the last one.

Carl

[idigjars]

Hi PaPa Smurf

Don't be discouraged. I am not talented like most of these folks are but these posts and pics others make encourage me to keep on trying. So let other's work inspire you to keep on keeping on.

As long as you have some fun carving what's the difference if we are not all expert carvers anyway?

I've been practicing on these 5 minute wizards lately myself to try something different. I like making fish decoys because they are pretty simple as far as carving goes but I'm trying to increase my skills with something else.

If you have any local carving clubs try and attend some meetings. It's fun to just talk to other folks about our hobby. And any carver I have ever met is always willing to help with any help you need.

Like treewizard wrote above "practice makes perfect" and I think that goes for anything we want to try in life and have some skill at.

Just have fun PaPa Smurf! Best regards and safe carving. Paul

[PaPa Smurf]

there is going to be a on hands carving class in June, hoping to drive up, but after 3 months you would I could turn out something ....feel like I'm butting a wall...

[twymanok]

I get that way from time to time, just muddle through it it is the only cure I can think of along, keeping it simple until I get more comfortable then try more elaborate patterns, if you are doing what I do (comparing your work with the guys who have been carving for 10+years) don't do that, I catch myself doing that alot

[Donsexton]

Art is Art I like to smoke a little smoke drank a little drank eat some Cajon food do the art walk in the big easy and hang out with some of my art friends and Boo-yaa I am back. I wish you much luck and happiness go have a large time it will help.

[Midnight Carver]

I went through a stage where I really wasn't happy with my carvings, so I picked out some projects, from WCI and carving books, that I thought would really challenge my abilities and took my time trying to "get them right." It gave me a chance to try different techniques and gave my abilities a little bump in the right direction. When I went back to my carvings, I was quicker and happier with the results. So maybe find a project you thought was beyond your abilities and give it a shot?
Hope you get it worked out

Eric

[OBXmom]

I have found the best way for me to stay productive is to have a few projects going at once. That way, when I pick up a piece and I'm just not "feeling it" I can put it down and concentrate on another piece. Every time I've tried to force my way through it, I've regretted it. Some days no carving feels right, so it helps to have projects in different stages of completion so on those days I can sand or apply a finish coat.
The best way to explain it is that when I'm "in the zone" I can easily see all the pieces that dont belong and need to be removed by my chisel or dremel.