Napolean in Progress

[Irish]

So ... when are you posting that fantastic new carving as a WIP so that all of us can watch ?????

Susan

[Ashbys]

Susan ,

I guess you like it. =)

I really didn't know if I should , it is still in the firewood stage, and the first carving of any size I have attempted in a little over a year , lots that can be wrong at this point.

But it is a carving for myself and that makes it different then most carvings I do.

For Ron's Benfit,

The carving should finish at 22 inches x 19 x x 6- 3/4. It is Napolean crossing the alps. The painting was produced 6 times from 1804 - 1814. The painting depects Napolean as larger than life upon his horse.

Doing the research I noticed a lot of unusal concepts which were employed. On of the first is his size. The warmblood horse he is on will stand between 15.2 hands and 17. The average would be about 16.1. That will convert to about 5' 2 - 6' 2 at the front shoulder. Because the horse is rearing into the air , his leg sits down almost the the horse knee, and is still bent. This would make him roughly 6'3 inches tall.

The next noticable odd thing is his lower leg is longer than his thigh, and his shoe size would be about a 14 , this is highlighted as the foot is pointed into the sturrip. The cloak he wear is blowing in the wind but gives the impression he has massive shoulders. It is easy to understand why Napolean loved the painting. Anyway I hope to capture all those traits, and convert a 2-d painting into a 3- D cavring. My good friend Goody gave me the mahagony to make the build up .

Anyway I am about 7 hours from the glue up into it, and in the traditions of doing relief carving , I am carving it in relief.

Garry ( with 2 r's )

[Irishman]

That's a major project you got going there Ash. What happens when you carve off that nice looking rider? You have some work ahead of you but you'll manage fine as evident from your earlier carvings. Keep us current on your progress.
Patrick

[Ashbys]

Patrick ,

The sad part is I don't want to stop , and I have to , too many other things going on. As for the rider if I work it correctly , when I finish his hand it should almost be complete, The front leg is in place on him , which breaks the angle for the thigh. But you should know I do not carve relief from the background forward. I carve from the front to the back.

But like everything else in my life I never do the expect line. Talking

I will keep you posted on how it is doing .

Garry

[Lynn O. Doughty]

What prompted you to tackle the subject of Napoleon? Commission?

[A Willburger]

Wow thats a big project. The wood looks almost thick enough to do it in the round so I'll have to keep watching and learning since I've yet attempted a relief. Is Napoleon and his horse being attached to a background?

Andy

[Ashbys]

Lynn ,

I will you a quote

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark . "

If I was to remain to where I did not push myself to streach my abilities then I have set my mark too low. This carving is a personal project , at present only for me to attempt a carving style of the person that made that quote.

Garry

[Ashbys]

Andy ,

Relief carving is a style of carving that can at the extreams produce in the round. The effect is to start at one point and follow that point to the finished product.

When typical in the round is a carving produced from removal of material from all sides.

Michealangelo said that he was a relief carver, he would start at one point and follow that point to the end. This carving will be produced the same way from one side to the other. Until it is formed . Then it will be an in the round carving .

Garry

[Ashbys]

For those that wanted, to watch the progress ,

This is after 11 hours .

Showing the relief , and the forming of the front leg .

Ash

[Treever]

Now THAT looks like a project. A whole Saturday in the shop is priceless, isn't it?