My "Irish" woodspirit walking stick

Lightningbolt · #1 04-30-2005, 07:52 PM

Spring has really got me in the carving mood and here is my latest walking stick. It's a 58" piece of red maple limb from a neighbors tree which has been drying on the porch for exactly a year now. I'd much rather carve into a semi-green stick, but as Mick Jagger once sang..."You don't always get what you want." and thus the story of my life!

First I carved out the long slender face then for who only knows why (probably some fond memories from an Irish pub!) decided to add a touch of Ireland by adding the green, white, and orange flag stipes into the woodburned hand grip. I also woodburned and painted a four leaf clover on the opposite side of the "swirled" top (no photo). And yes, that swirled top was a bunch of fun to do but consisted of just your basic gouging... perhaps this would be a nice job for a power carver if only I had one! I also put some kind of basic vine with red berries on the lower part

Then as usual, I painted it with some very watered down acrylic paints followed by a burnt umber antiquing wash then finally two coats of clear polyurethane.

Oh yeah, I also found those rubber cane tips at Wal-Mart that some of you suggested to me in a much earlier thread. I stocked up on the 1" size and I think I'm gonna like them.

carving!

Carvity_Carve · #2 04-30-2005, 08:47 PM

stick, Lightningbolt. Looks like the whole thing was a bunch of fun to make.

squbrigg · #3 04-30-2005, 09:53 PM

Splendid job, lots of character, functional and has charm! A wee bit of the Irish charm, at that! Well done.

Bob

Kenny_S · #4 04-30-2005, 10:51 PM

That is a great looking stick! Whoever the owner is, will be proud of it.
Great job!

Hugh · #5 05-01-2005, 06:52 AM

I'll say amen to that, great stick. I saved a photo of that face.

Clifford_Parker · #6 05-01-2005, 10:46 AM

Another great stick Lightning. Keep 'em coming, I have been in a "peel, sand, and seal" slump lately but your woodspirits are calling me to pick up the knife and see if I can find a few myself.

GeorgiaFred · #7 05-02-2005, 09:38 PM

Now thats a good one ! Looks like one of my old fishing buddys !
GaFred

Callynne · #8 05-03-2005, 08:00 AM

Oh no, another great walking stick...the pressure is building, I can't stand it....I need more time in my day so I can carve all these great things you guys are doing. Why didn't I start carving forty years ago?????

That's really nice Lightningbolt, I love the whimsy of it! Thanks for sharing...and adding to my sense of desperation!!

Callynne