griffin - wip

doris · #1 08-30-2008, 10:46 AM

hey everybody, i recently started a new carving, which is inspired by the griffins one can see here in corner niches at old houses. they are usually carved from stone, but i want do one in wood :-) ... and, as i have not done too many carvings in the round, and as this is a somewhat unusual topic to carve, i thought it might be fun for you to watch :-)

the wood is yew, and is pretty hard, but it carves very well, and seems to be able to hold very tiny detail. what will be maybe disturbing in the finished carving or maybe is very interesting, is that the wood close to the outside is creamy white color, while in the middle it is almost orange. on the last foto, one can see this somewhat, under the nose and at the forhead, where have already carved pretty deeply into the wood.

ok, i have my vision, and a few reference fotos, but this time i not want carve exactely what i see on these fotos, but use them only as loose guide...

on foto 1 we see how i started. i clamped the wood in a jig, i have built following the ideas of carvendive (thanks dave !), though mine looks crooky, and you can see i am very poor in sawing and assembling. but it works. thats all i need... i put also a chisel, so you can guess the size, and also to show you how very long i have the bevel on such large tools (it is 10mm wide chisel). and needs only stropping when i begin carving, and holds edge all the time :-)

on foto 2 we see how i try to find some shapes in the woods which support my vision. all is very loose and sketchy...

on foto 3 i am narrowing in somewhat and now with some fantasy you can already begin to guess how it should be....i have misjudged a little where to put the centerline, the wood was not really a regular cylinder... lol...but i will do this way... maybe i can turn him a little without loosing too much wood...

ok, long saying, ... i hope you enjoy :-)

Keoma · #2 08-30-2008, 12:54 PM

Ok Doris-you are too cool! This is going to be a great project! I know it will exceptional! I absolutely love how your mind wanders! Blessings to you in this endeavor-youre going to have fun with it!

Joy · #3 08-30-2008, 05:14 PM

I see a griffin peeking out of that log! How long has the wood been drying?

JimSawyer · #4 08-30-2008, 05:14 PM

This is exciting! I love to see WIPs from Doris. I'll be tuning in to watch this one for sure!!

hruukki · #5 08-30-2008, 05:21 PM

Hi Doris - about the wood color: if it's annoying in the finished carving, you might want to bleach the whole thing. I don't know how well yew bleaches, or how it's done in general, so this is just an idea you might look into.

Henri

doris · #6 08-30-2008, 05:23 PM

i keoma, joy, and jim :-) ... i hope it dried long enough, since last autumn about... it feels dry and warm to the touch...i just could not wait longer to try this wood ...so fingers crossed ;-)...

doris · #7 08-30-2008, 05:24 PM

hi henri, we crossposted... yes, an idea to keep in mind.. we will see how it looks when finished carving, if color is disturbing or not... thanks !

Keoma · #8 08-30-2008, 05:56 PM

I think that bleaching the Yew would be almost Sacrilegious ...LOL...but that is me. Actually, The wood you chose is so perfect! Of all the old carvings in churches and things, Griffins were really popular...and the wood of choice was Oak and Yew. They chose those for the strength of the wood and it's durability, but also for the folklore that went along with it. as a gaurdian of the corners of a building, it would have to have been a strong spirited piece. Yew is a symbol of life and death as well as a protector against evil spirits. Perfect for your Griffin! The color when finished is completely different than while working. I think that once you oil it you will be very very happy with the results.
Ok, off my box now. Just a bit of fun facts for you!

JimSawyer · #9 08-30-2008, 06:32 PM

Doris, I was noticing the way you have it clamped and I'm not sure exactly what you're doing. Can I get you to post a picture at a distance. I'm very curious as to how it's being done.

mark yundt · #10 08-30-2008, 07:03 PM

It appears as though she has it suspended in a U shaped fixture,,almost a box. And it looks like there are probably screws through the end panels into the carving. Loosen the screws and rotate the carving. Or the clamp there might offer a bit more stability to the piece as it's being worked on to keep it from rotating. I'm guessing 'cause this is a system I have used when carving spindles,columns capitals and things like that.
I'm anxious to see as well. What ever she's doing it seems to be working for her.