Jenga® Block Bear

Simple tools and materials can produce great results

What can you carve from a Jenga block? A tall skyscraper or a long park bench? A giraffe or a weiner dog?

Carve your own creation from a 1/2" x 1" x 3" block and send your photos to: Carver's Challenge, Wood Carving Illustrated, 1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520 or email to editor@WoodCarvingIllustrated.com. We'd also love to hear any ideas you have for future Carver's Challenges.

I purchased the Spring 2005 issue of WCI on a whim— without any carving experience and no tools. What was I doing with a woodcarving magazine? But something about the bearded figure on the cover caught my eye. He looked like a Green Man—a Wood Spirit.

Thumbing through the magazine, I saw the Swiss Black Bears article. I have always wanted to carve bears—looking on with envy as chainsaw carvers sawed out their creations. But the cost and weight of the chainsaw are too much for me. Anyway, I thought I should start small.

When I made it to the article on Wilhelm Schimmel, I had a revelation. The fact that the finished product need not be perfect was so encouraging! So, with the magazine open to the black bears again, I got out a hobby knife and a stray Jenga block. I spent about 12 hours whittling away at the tiny block to produce my very first carving.

I've had to fight the urge to go back to my bear and 'fix' it. Maybe correct the proportions, or detail it more. Like most artists, I need a big guy standing behind me with a mallet to let me know when I'm done. To fight this, I started on a new project. I call her "Dancing Lady."