Do you mark / sign your work? If so, how?

[LBlake]

I'm new to carving, and have been carving lovespoons, so far. Several people have remarked that I should sign my finished pieces. Coming from other artistic disciplines, it seems like a good point.... But I find myself unsure about how it's normally done, if it's normally done.

Do people carve a mark/signature? or, write or paint it? And where would you typically place a mark on a lovespoon? Are there generally accepted "rules?" Etc...

I figure there are probably many approaches, but just wondered if there was a "norm." Thanks!

[Clifford_Parker]

I mark all of my carvings. For spoons the back of the handle usually works well.

[tucker1931]

From another Cliff, I burn my initials and the year on the back of the handle of my spoons. That may be difficult on love spoons tho, I would think very small on the back of the bowl.
Cliff

[Donna_T]

There's probably dozens of ways to mark carvings. I either burn mine in or write them with a fine line permanent marker (Sharpie). While I usually do it on the bottom of the carving, I sometimes incorporate it in the back side of the carving.

First, I keep a list of the carvings I've done....keep the list in my carving box and list the number, a short description of the carving and note if I carved it for someone specific or sold it to someone specific, then finish with the date started. I number the carvings sequentially, then add the last two numbers of the year. For instance #89009 would be my 890th carving and it was done in 2009. And I sign my name.

We've had some previous threads on this topic. You might try searching for them, too.

Donna T

[LBlake]

Thanks - this is good info - all good ideas.

Actually, I did try a few searches first, but must not have used the right combination of keywords, I guess - at least, not without resulting in way too many threads that didn't appear to be very much related.... I'm open to search suggestions, though! Thanks again!

[xsailer]

I always burn my name in carving and if it's a rough out by someone else I then burn 'Design by xxxxxxxx Carved by xxxxxx' on the bottom. I always give credit where credit is due.

[Paul_Guraedy]

I burn in my last name, number of the carving and, as Donna mentioned, keep a log of my carvings. I do have a rather different numbering system though. When I got into bird watching I kept a life list; but, found that, as the species accumulated, I was becoming as interested in the number as I was in the species observed. I did not want this repeated in my woodcarving so have settled in on a system where the first two numbers is the year (now 09) and the second two numbers is the sequential carving finished in that year (01, 02….).

I occasionally sell a carving and have found that recipients value a signed/numbered piece as more art than handcraft and are willing to pay a higher price just for that reason. This was brought home to me several years ago when a lawyer commissioned a carving. In the course of planning I told him that I reserved the right to do five carvings of that design. He said, “No problem. As long as I get number one!” I laughed and explained my numbering system to him and assured him that he would get the first one of that design. I also told him that it was fine by me as future pieces would be slightly different and would certainly be improved. He still insisted on number one.

I never did anymore of that design; but, did get to thinking about it. Until that time, I had been insisting on keeping the first carving of any single design. My comment to him on improvement changed my modus operandi. Now, if Diana insists on keeping a carving, I insist on it being replaced by any future piece of that design and selling/giving away the initial carving. Why shouldn’t I keep the best of my efforts?

[Buckskin]

I mark mine with my initials and year. After reading this I think I will start numbering as well.

[kitaye]

I carve my initials into the piece. I'm looking at an alpha-numeric stamp set that will make a neater initial in a smaller space. I'm not to good at lettering :|

[mark yundt]

When I first started I used to sign my birds.
Since then I haven't signed any piece. Closest I came to signing something was a piece I did had a bit of cloth hanging and I "arranged" the folds of the carved cloth into my initials. Nobody saw it or knew. Probably still don't.