Goodmorning Gang,
You can tell I took a day off from the gym this morning I promise that this is the last thread I will start today. I dont start threads just for the sake of starting them I get something in my head and just have to have the answers to the question or it drives me crazy.
Teri and I have been talking on line quite a bit and she asked me this question and I thought wow it would be nice to see who or what inspired all of you to get into the woodcarvng world.
Funny people asked me all the time why did I join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? I am probably the only one that joined it for this reason. It was that Mountie uniform with the red jacket, high brown boots and stetson that was my inspiration once I decided thats what I wanted to do there was nothing that was going to deter my from wearing that uniform. So let us know what your inspiration was I cant wait to hear the responses. Now I promise to shut up.
Colin

Good morin Colin ; A knee injury in 1976. Had only alder fire wood, carpenters chisels, and pocket knives. Didn't start again till 1999, this time with proper tools and better wood. The inspiration never stops. Gee-wiz I'm talking to a Mounty!!Ron A.

I simply wanted a way to 'fancify' my walking sticks. My first carving was a woodspirit and after that I was hooked.

[Nancy_G]

Ron Ransom, Ron Ransom, Ron Ransom. Wood carving had never entered my mind until Aug. '87 when somebody showed me Ron's first book because they knew I liked Santas. The earth shook. No kidding. I was so dumb I didn't even know a BRAND NEW $7 knife wasn't sharp but I took off carving and never looked back. (too bad I've never been able to get a much sharper knife, huh?)
Everything I know, everything I do, I give the credit to Ron and the Good Lord.... and both of them know it.

I have been studying artwork from the Viking era for several years, and the woodcarvings are just amazing. I thought if they could do those wonderful carvings with very rudimentary tools then surely there was hope for me. After 2 years of obsessive carving, I have improved, made friends, turned out a lot of finished work, and am more in awe of those ancient carvers than ever.
I'm working on several projects at once right now. Among them are over 40 feet of 1' X 6' trim for my living room with Celtic knotwork and birds, another box with mythical beasts on it, and a Welsh love spoon with knotwork.
I'm hooked.
Thor

[MelNM]

Wood magazine used to have carving articles in it, and after seeing a Dave Rushlo article, I too toke it up with a dull cheap knife.

[UNCLE_RICK]

Nora Hall when she was on HGTV'S Modern Masters show.
I just knew I had to try it.

Rick

My sister collect(ed)s pigs. Â*I decided to carve one for her birghday after a short shopping trip produced nothing that I wanted to spend money on. Â*I HATE shopping. Â*One piece of 2x4, coping saw, and knife ---- Voila!!!! She got the ugliest pig you ever saw.... Â*


After that, I 'studied' more and I suppose Tom Wolfe inspired me through his books and now through watching him carve on occasion.

[David_Aaron_Sercel]

I had always enjoyed whittling but had never done any serious carving up
until about three years ago. I guess what really got me interested in carving
was a book that I got from the library. That got me started, but I really didn’t
get serious about it until I visited an art show that was in the area and got to
see some really good bird carvings and meet some other carvers. I received
a lot of assistance from the carvers that I met at the show, in particular
Dan Williams and Riley Monroe.

David

[Texas_Jim]

I also was inspired by Tom Wolfe's books. Especially the one on dogs. I liked the step by step approach and figured I might be able to copy the steps.