[Mottles]

Doris, between you and Susan Irish you make me want to do a 'greenman' I even bought Susan's book for when I was ready to learn how to carve them.
Your 'greenman' is fantastic, you always come up with some super designs what ever you are carving, and always full of character. Excellent!
Kathy

[doris]

bob, mark, kathy, many thanks ! i am really glad you like my efforts... kathy, yes, try a greenman, its so much fun, since you have so much freedom to explore, and when you start from a solid design you can jump off whenever an idea hits you, and still it will be a very nice carving, whatever happens... i dont kow susans book, (blush), but am sure its full of inspirations :-)... and, please show your greenman, i am curious how you see them ...
yes, mark, the size made problems , tools often were way too big to use in best "position" ...i would had chosen bigger, but the wood was no bigger ;-) ... yes, is almost netsuke size, but still huge compared to that... i am doing a "serious" project, which is bigger and i will show when finished, and i got an idea from your samples, i am try deveop a design, with acanthus, and this will be HUGE --- for my experience at least... i will need some technicle help then (not carving but others), but i come when i am ready with questions... thanks a lot for being there with help and encouragement, very appreciated from me ... i like walnut for carving, i think i was just unfortunate that this particular piece crumbles more than usual...

[Mottles]

kathy, yes, try a greenman, its so much fun, since you have so much freedom to explore, and when you start from a solid design you can jump off whenever an idea hits you, and still it will be a very nice carving, whatever happens... i dont kow susans book, (blush), but am sure its full of inspirations :-)... and, please show your greenman, i am curious how you see them ...

Hi Doris, go to Susan's web site Woodcarving Patterns, Classic Carving Patterns Online, Wood Carving Designs & Patterns Online and look up 'Woodspirits'. The title of her 'Woodspirit' book is 'WoodSpirits and Green Men' included in this book is also Chris Pye and Shawn Cipa. It's an excellent book I highly recommend it.

I think the woodspirits/greenmen I could try to create would be of the Cottonwood Tree. We have lots and lots of them really close to my home. I'd collect some leaves and let my imagination do the rest. LOL
I'm really getting a little bord with keeping everything inside borders like I do with my relief carvings. Yeah I know I don't have to keep everything inside a border, but I seem to feel the need. LOL

If I can create a woodspirit/greenman such as you have I'd be most pleased.
Kathy

[doris]

kathy, thanks for the lonk to the book...i recall the greenman on the cover, susan made a tutorial here on that, and it was one of the first things i have read at wci...at that time i was not member, but only lurking...

i think your idea of collecting leaves and let them inspire you is great. you can arrange them in anyway you want, is fun to designing this way... you have done very nice carvings, kathy, all you need is believe yourself that you can carve a greenman as you wish, and you will see, it works :-)

[CarverRog]

Doris, that greenman looks very good to me! The wood you have looks like what we around here call butternut which is very soft and fragile when trying to get details. The old timers used to call it "white walnut" because it could be stained dark to look like walnut and the grain of it looks very similiar to walnut.

Now to put a twist into this greenman carving. This is a chip carved greenman it was made out of butternut and stained.


This is the same pattern but carved in different places. Sorry, I did add the line under the eyes so I could get the stem look.


Thanks Doris for inspiring.

[JimSawyer]

Thanks Doris for posting your work in progress. I think I know what I might try after I'm done with the angel I'm making for Mother's Day. I'm someone who needs to have my next project lined up before I finish one I'm working on and a greenman is just the ticket.

[doris]

ah, carverrog, that is a beautiful take of a greenman, never thought on chipcarving with greenman. thanks a lot to show the two. beautiful work both (i admire how deep you can cut the chips out, and all look same deep and even !) ... on my wood, the fotos do not show the color correctly, it is almost chocolate brown, and has some even darker streaks. i try get better color on foto when i show the finished greenman... the wood was harder than linden, but i dont know if it would be called hard or soft. besides that crumbling it carved well, after i learned how to avoid that...
jim, to me it is one of the nicest things, when i learn my carving inspire people for new project. i am very glad to hear that from you, and i would be pleased if you show your greenman later too :-)

finished the carving part today, now its time to put a finish...

[dicktilley20]

Sorry Doris, I have been at a three day show, demo carving.

Ebonised is the term I use for blackening oak or sweet chestnut.

Vinegar and steel wool, the iron in the steel wool is broken down by the acid in the vinegar and the 'Brew' is applied to wet wood, it turns black/blue within a few minutes.

dick

[doris]

thanks for explanation, dick...this seems quite a rustic finishing method :-)

so, my greenman is finished, :-) ...this time i made foto with a white background, and the color is more like the true one, though in real the wood is even darker, but i think you can get the idea now , i put a larger version in gallery as usual ... i hope you like, and i want thank all again who contributed with their version of greenman. that made a great thread, which i hope many people find if they search greenman for inspiration, and was lots of fun :-) thanks !!

[Irishman]

Another very nice carving Doris. Hope to try one myself soon.

Patrick