Dogwood lapel blossoms

[johncarves]

I will be leading our Wednesday night carve-in for the next couple of weeks in carving these Dogwood blossoms. I am furnishing magnetic findings with these so they can be worn on the lapel.

It takes me about 15 minutes to carve and detail one. I finish them with boiled linseed oil and Krylon matte finish spray. I love what linseed oil does to basswood.

[BobT]

Too cool. Incredibly lifelike (of course other than the wood grain). They look great. I can't imaging carving anything that life like. How big are they?

[johncarves]

2 1/2" x 2 3/4" x 3/8".

Two tools required: a knife & 3/8 #7 gouge, a scrap of sandpaper.

I've figured it out, they are so easy.

[johncarves]

OPPS! Make that three tools. I use a 3/32" nail punch to make the pattern in the center.

[Magicman]

John
It would be great if you could do a tutorial on these, I for one would aappreciatre it very much. They are beautiful!! I could'nt imagine being able to do one in 15 minutes.
Larry

[BobT]

I too would enjoy a tutorial. I never thought I would carve flowers but this looks too good to pass up.

[Robson Valley]

Me too. Those look like Cornus florida (Eastern Flowering Dogwood). C. nuttallii (Western Flowering Dogwood) is some formal emblem of the province of British Columbia.
Can you suggest a technique to make the flowers with the 6 white bracts for WFD?

[edcornflake]

15 Minutes! Fantastic.

[johncarves]

These are indeed Eastern Dogwood. I've seen the Pacific Dogwood with 5 petals but I have not seen one with 6. You would use the same basic tools and formula.

I carved the striations that run down the length of the petals at one time, but decided it took away from the overall beauty and simplicity of the piece.

[carvingbarn]

Very nice. The Dogwoods on the gulf coast are in bloom now. I am working on a walnut cane with dogwood flowers.