Carvings for Competitions

[Claude]

In another thread in this forum Competition....Should I or Shouldn't I?, Kenny_S says "Not that the competition dictates what a carver must carve to win but what judges dictates. Copying others works? We all copy others to a point. How many cowboys have been carved in the last 10 years, How many Santas have been carved, how many birds? We all copy something. I would like to carve like you and may try something you have shown us on you Blog. If I do carve anny carving from your blog, it is a copy. Would I display it, Yep, would I enter competition, no!
It would be mine carving but copied."

Bill, in the same thread says "By the way, my "Campfire Cook" took a third in the open division, but I have two more upcoming shows in the coming months, and I'm going into them with the feeling that the cook is good enough to take a 1st, but then again, its in the judges hands at that point."

I'd like to see the opinion of others on the subject of what carvings you would enter into a copetition and which you wouldn't and why. It appears that Kenny_S would not enter the campfire cook, if he decided to carve, and yet Bill has already won a ribbon for the "same" carving. I respect both opinions, as each should only enter what he/she wants to. The way I look at it is that a carving I start from a block of wood, using a photograph of a subject as a pattern, is no different than using a photograph off Lynn's web site, or Irish's web site, or anyone elses. The carving is 100% done by me, and therefore i can enter it in a competition. Caveats: I do give credit for the pattern (or photograph). Of course, if part of the judging is on "originality", then I guess I wouldn't get a very hight award, if any. But that's ok, too. I'd still get a chance to see how my work compares to others.

So, what is your opinion about what carvings you would enter, and what carvings you wouldn't?

Claude

[kcwaterguy]

First and foremost I think the one choice I make is that I carved it with my hands, tools, etc then I will gladly enter it. If I carved Lynn's cook (like I have that talent LOL) then I would enter it, and if I lived in Maine or California which is obviously far from shows that Lynn probably enter, then sure I would enter it. Now, I would not dare enter it in the Tulsa show. I also agree to give credit where credit is due... pattern by Lynn etc....

As far as copying, Russ says that even if you duplicate a design once we put it in wood with our own hands then that is original. I know in Gouge Chip Carving that we share our designs so others can bounce ideas off each other... I usually don't "copy" but will use parts in my designs.

Sean

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Claude....When I put the design and instruction blog up it was meant to be copied by those wanting to learn just how I went about things. However, like any instruction book, a carver should feel free to use it as a guide to do his own thing as much as he or she wants. No matter how closely you might following the original it's still YOUR carving so you should have no hesitation to enter it anywhere you might want. You can even enter it in the Tulsa show should I have something entered in the same competition. Wouldn't bother me one bit.

When I first started I used Harold Enlow's and Andy Anderson's books as reference for patterns and such. However, I eventually gained the confidence to develop my own designs. If you look through the last issue of Chip Chats you lots of carvings based on patterns developed by others. Nothing wrong with that. However, you will also see photos of winning carvings clearly carved from roughouts purchased from various carvers which is another story entirely. That I don't agree with.

Hopefully, one day we can compete against each other and I can shake your hand as the ribbon is placed on your carving!

Good luck in that competition.

[Arnold-Smith]

The only place I hive entered carvings for competion is the Georgia National Fair. The only thing I enter is my own designs. The rule is if you use some one's pattern you have to list the name of the one who designed the pattern.If it is one done in A class. You have to list the instructors name. That makes it fair for everyone.

Arnold