[Ashbys]

Susan ,
That seems to have been the topic yesterday around here. The chairman is a good frined of mine, I will be showing him the carving today, after I do that I will know a lot more. As he was the one that asked for the carving.

Garry

[mbevington]

Ash,
Nice car and carving, it looks great. When I carve something for someone, my wife tries to get me to keep it. I normaly end up carving one for myself and one for the person I'm giving it to. Once again very nice CARving, it should bring a pretty penny.
Mark

[Ashbys]

Mark ,
LOL shows how much attention I pay to things .. didn't see Goody posted the pic.


Garry

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Have a mold made off the original and give a urethane casting to each family member plus one for yourself. Then give the original to the NRA & carve a new one. Everybody's happy.

[AlArchie]

I'm going to play Scrooge, here, although I have no idea what the intentions of the NRA are in this case.

Several professional carvers I have corresponded with have absolutely QUIT doing carvings and contributing them for charitable purposes.

The organizations sponsoring the events (auctions) have come back continually asking for donations, not realizing or not caring that most of these carvers are not "quantity manufactures" that turn these things out by the hundreds.

Memebers of our own carving club have done signs and other carvings for various charitable organizations (donated both time and materials) and then have been approached by commercial operations to get material done for under what the professional folks of the area charge.

In effect these donations undercut your own marketability.

I'm not saying DON'T contribute, just do so judiciously.

Al

[AlArchie]

I just got done going over this entire posting, and obviously missed a few comments. Also I just voted Ash's carving at OVER the $1000 mark.

Many organizations seeking donations of art for auction get prints of originals, and like it or not, prints cost NOTHING to reproduce (well, almost). An original, one of a kind piece is of a much higher value.

And it sounds like Ash is doing this piece as a favor to a friend as much as a straight out donation, so my previous nasty post has to be modified some. Ash, you've got yourself a dillema!

Al

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Well....you could just carve a "stone wall!" without a Jackson in it! lol...........Stonewall Jackson, amazing, the man was killed by friendly fire!

[Thor]

Hi Ash,

I know you'll make the right decision about the carving, but I voted that you keep it in the family and carve the NRA another. I don't know how to vote on a value for it. It is already priceless if your mom wants it. I do think the suggestion of making copies of it for the other members of your family is a good idea.
I wondered how you would give this one away after you started with the lettering, and much more so when you started on the leaves. It is a great piece.
Thor

[Anthony Filetti]

Gary,
In keeping with what you said earlier I would keep your word and give it to the NRA, I would then carve another for your Mom and since you have already done one would do another but allow her to possibly modify the design if she wanted. Then it truly would as she wanted and she would enjoy it that much more.

Your "word" has an inestimable value and it is truly all we have and all we are...

...just my 2 cents...

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Unless I missed something, why does the carving have to be Stonewall Jackson? Couldn't any carving you have be donated?