Question for you ....

[Thomp]

Thanks for starting this thread Corey,

i thought i was the only one with the same ideas that are posted here by others.

like most, i dont carve for sales, that dont mean there not for sale.

i love the puzzle or magic of what & how its done, and being able to see whats in the block, or study the carvings disfigurement until the solution arises like a vision ..

but to be forced to carve the same thing every day to supply a store for sales would be a torment liking to hell for me.. im glad there are folks that can fill that niche of production carving but not me,

i love to carve a single like item, its the challenge then on to something different, Christmas ornaments are torment...because i cant change them around.

case in point:
ive got a cigar box full of little league kids, size of your first joint on your thumb, i was going like gang busters, and had to stop and heal up from a slipped gouge. ill probably never finish the set. due to the tedium involved.

but for what ever reason you carve for it seams the carvings on the forums are getting better... carve on dudes and dudettes your getting better !

[imahic]

Great question. I have never carved the same thing twice. Just variations of the same idea maybe. I have been asked to carve some things to sell but in my mind I am not good enough to sell them yet. And if I had to do it for money then it would seem like a job. To me, carving is my "therapy" and I want to keep it that way for now. To be able to carve like some of the folks I see here would be a dream come true. As they say...."practice, practice, practice"....lol

Mike

[Cottonwood]

I am in the midst of carving Santa ornaments that are all on the same theme. They will all have variations on the same theme and that helps to keep it interesting. I do this only August through Christmas each year and believe me, I'm ready for Christmas to arrive. Several have mentioned that trying to improve each piece over the one done just previously offers a bit of a challenge. In my case, the subtle expressions on the face of Santa can be influenced by an ever so slight of cut in the right place. Many times it is an unintended result that sends me into carving another one as quickly as I can to try to duplicate the effect or try to avoid doing what was just done if the result was not exactly what I intended.
At any rate, the sages on this board have cautioned against carving under a deadline. I would agree with that whole heartedly. Right now I am carving under a deadline and carving lots of similar pieces. I'm having lots of fun.....go figure!??!

[chpster90bu]

Mike's reply is the closest to the way I feel. I strictly carve for a hobby and to relax me. I sell nothing (mostly because I probably couldn't...lol)....besides, I can't part with my "little boys" unless they are for gifts. As for repeats.......no way, no how. That is an individual preference, obviously, but for me.....I can't do it, nor do I have any desire to repeat a carving....Bonnie

[MelNM]

I do the same thing Cottonwood does just make small changes in the carving. Kind of helps make less tedious. I also try to make it better than the one before. But yup it does become boring.
Mel

[squbrigg]

I believe the answer lies within the question: " Why do you carve?"

Do you carve for your own enjoyment?
Do you carve as a source of income or as a business?
Do you carve only one particular form or theme?

The answer to those questions will lead you to the reason that you may be bored with carving the same image over and over. Motivation!

Bob

[myronhall]

I like carving similar things several times. I find that I am seeking ways to change the carving somewhat to challenge myself when I do repeats (caricature santa, realistic santa, young santa, santa without a hat, old world santa, etc.) I have found that by doing a similar carving over and over, my skills improve and I learn as I can concentrate more on technique in the duplicates than on the design. For a novice, such as myself, I find that skill building is as important as the carving. I once read in a wood working book by James Kernov, his statement " we do what we do, not for the thing we make, but for the knowledge gained in the making." I figure if a master such as Kernov feels like this, I need to find a way to embrace the knowledge gained in each carving.

I am not sure how I will feel about duplicates as I gain more experience, and maybe for those of you out there who have many years of wood chips lying around, duplicates are not the way to go, but for now, I like carving similar things.

[agaboric]

I am with everyone else too. However I do not mind making multiples of something when it is something I like and also to look back and see how much better each one gets compared to the last is really amazing to me anyway. I have taken hobbies in the past and tried to make money from them and it seems once this happens the fun gets sucked out of it and then it becomes chore like and not a hobby.