[RubyTuesday_Canuk]

Just wanted to say - WHAT A FABULOUS TUTORIAL!!! I am so amazed by all the time and work you put into this. Am a big fan! I carved this Oak Man a year ago in a piece of Hon. Mahogany - made it into a clock. It was my first face ever - I sure could have benefited from your tutorial - can hardly wait to carve another one now.

I'm looking forward to being retired so I can carve MORE.

Ruby

[woodtrapper]

Susan, thanks for posting your work.without people like you and some of the other pros on this site,I myself would have a tough time figuring things out on my own.I also like the picture of the tools as well.That was helpful.Davy

[Stryder7]

Dearest Susan,

I know it's been a year since you put this all on the net for us. As a starting carver and not knowing quite where to start or what to carve, you have given me the chance to try something I hadn't thought of... we have a lot of cottonwood bark here and I thought I'd be doing woodspirits. Now I have saved all your instructions and pictures to my laptop and will take it with me while we are touring mid Canada in our motorhome...or when we are at the lake fishing...(can't fish all the time...lol) I will be saving a few other projects as well... but I'm sure this one will keep me the busiest for now...

Thank you so much for your kindness, professionalism, and "personal" instruction. I have no teachers that I have access to so this is a real blessing in disguise-when I found this site...

Thanks again

Marianne
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[woodchick]

Hi Susan,
I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU for the truly fantastic tutorial on carving the wood spirit! I started reading it this afternoon and sat through the whole thing for several hours! I have stayed up much later than I would have liked but I just got hooked. I actually pity the people who had to wait the 3 weeks to watch the stages of the tutorial ,as I got it all in 1 sitting! You are a most tallented lady, with a large amount of patience, not just to carve, but to teach and type and post so many photos too. I have only recently joined this site and I must say I am thrilled with the quality of it's content. In my opinion your thread should be made into a book on it's own merit.
Keep up the good work!

Jacqui

[bulldog]

Irish
Ditto for me on the tutorial. Your expenditure of time and talent is greatly appreciated by us that arre new to the art form. THANKS/
KEEP BARKIN

[Irish]

It's almost here ... it is literally on the slow boat from China! But Paul H., my Fox Chapel editor, sent me one advanced copy in the mail yesterday!

Because of YOUR response to this tutorial while we were doing it here on the forum and so many responses since Fox has put the Oak Man Relief WIP into book format ... "Relief Carving Wood Spirits"!

As the author (shameless self promotion there Susan) I wanted to post the Dedication, Acknowledgments and part of the A Note from the Author as written in the new book here for everyone.

Quote:

Dedication
To all the members of the Woodcarving Illustrated message board. Their open sharing of ideas, techniques, and experiences has encouraged so many new and advanced carvers to expand their work to new horizons.

Acknowledgments
My special thanks go to Bob Duncan, Woodcarving Illustrated magazine editor and the moderator of the message board. Bob worked right alongside me throughout the creation of the original tutorial that is posted to the message board. His encouragement, great suggestions, and questions added depth and definition to the project.

A Note from the Author
As a member of Woodcarving Illustrated magazine's message board, I enjoy the opportunity to share my work, experiences and techhniques with a worldwide group pf woodcarvers and woodbruners. The membership of the forum is made up of a variety of carvers, including character, bird, and animal carvers who work in three dimensions, relief carvers who work in two dimensions, and pyrographers who work in a single dimension. All are willing to add their ideas, suggestions, and inspriation to any thread.

During one of our discussions on the board, a new member and new woodcarver asked if there were any tutorilas or lesson plans that included all of the steps and all of the photos a carver used to creat a work. ....

The digital format of WCI's message board seemed a perfect place for me to try a complete tutorial. I began posting the Grape Man Wood Spirit (now titled Oak Man Relief WIP) carving tutorial on June 26, 2006, and it finished with more than 250 steps, more than 300 photos, and lots of fun chat back and forth from the message board members.

End Quote:

So, hey Gang!!! Thank you! Thank you for all that each of you give so generously here on the forum. Your ideas, your sharing and your inspiration does have an impact of many people's lives.

Susan Irish

[BobD]

Susan,
Thank you for everything! I appreciate all the work you put in here.

And your dedication brought a tear to my eye. Thank you.

Bob

[ve3rin]

Ahhh I found this tutorial after my wife did the searching for me lol.
I must also thank you very much for answering my email and sending me the link to your post for the Oak Man Relief tutorial. I also saved the entirer post and photos and used it to do the relief carving which I posted on WIP power of the mind project 1 and 2 now completed.
Thank you very much for your time, photos, explanation, and willingness to provide and help those of us that cannot do this on our own.
looking forward to getting your book.
Gary