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Sunday, April 19, 2015

Bob's latest carving

Many of you know that Bob does caricature carvings.  He is almost always working on one, whether it's planning, carving, assembling or painting.  He has a waiting list, and right now it's close to a year out.  People usually give an idea of what they want in the carving, or tell him what they are interested in along with several photo's so he has something to work from.
He recently did one for friends of ours.  The husband, Mark, asked some time back for a carving of his wife, and asked that it include her kayak.  Bob knew that a few of Jennifer's favorite things are reading her Bible and kayaking, so he included both in the carving.
I love watching these carvings come to life, from a block of wood, and part way through this one I decided to start taking pictures.  (I wish I had started earlier!)   He had most of this carved and was working on the fine details when I started.  Here's what I have.

Here's the body of this piece.  He does the arms and head separately, than attaches them and does a little more carving to blend them.



Here's the kayak, painted and getting fine tuned.


One of the things I love about his carvings is all the little details.



Here, he was working on a middle elevation piece, and was painting it to look like water.


Getting ready for more paint and assembly.  See the head sitting there?



Before he paints the pieces, he wood burns the lines.   It gets painted over, but adds depth.  The Bible has been painted, complete with red letter verses.



The base is now stained, and the rest of the piece is painted and assembled.  He put epoxy over the water section to add shine.


Close up of the face



Note the Michigan S on her shorts.  Mark played football for Michigan State, so they are big fans.  Also note the pink toenails!



The view from above...



The title plaque.  I like the way it ties together the Bible and the water.



The finished piece.  One thing I didn't take a  picture of is a little handprint he carves on each of his carvings.  The card he puts with each of them explains it like this:
When God formed man he figuratively left his hand prints on his creation. Genesis 1:27 says we are made in the image of God, reflecting his attributes and ways.
"By His Hands" carvings are the outcome of the creative gift God has given me. The mini hand print you will find on my pieces is there to give credit where it is due, to God alone.

I may be biased, but I think he's really talented, and I so enjoy seeing how each one comes out.  If you would like to see more, you can check out his blog, By His Hands. (which has been neglected, needs updating, but still shows his work!) 

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

He is incredibly talented. Thank you for sharing this with us. So much fun for me to see the piece take shape. I will be sure to share with John. He will love seeing yours and Bob's blogs.

Stephanie said...

Wow, he is very talented, Mari, and his work is exquisite! Thank you so much for sharing with us :) Hugs to you!

Sally said...

Your Bob is amazing; such wonderful talent. I love seeing his work. That beautiful "pirate" for Jenny Weber!

I wouldn't have the patience to do something like that. However, we have two small carvings that were made by our paternal grandfather.

xoxo

Connie said...

What a talent Bob has! I'm going to have to talk to him about doing one of Ken.

LL Cool Joe said...

Wow that's brilliant, and I love seeing all the photos of the work in progress. Was she pleased with it?

Hootin Anni said...

Truly, a work of art...a masterpiece!!!!

Unknown said...

Bob uses the gift God gave him in such a priceless way. By all the details he puts into the pieces, one can tell his love for his work and best of all, giving praise to God for his abilities.

Unknown said...

Oh my word Mari! I want this so bad! I LOVE kayaking and this is the best! Does he sell his stuff? I am in love with this piece of art!

Dianna said...

I don't think you are biased at all, Mari. Your husband is quite talented and I love all of the detail he does. Absolutely gorgeous. I'm off now to check out his website.

Changes in the wind said...

What a amazing gift he has. To think it was just a chunk of wood.

Karen said...

Thank you for sharing the steps he goes through to create this. It gives me a feeling of joy and awe. What a unique way to give glory to God!

Marsha Young said...

Now that is talent! The details are truly delightful. Have a wonderful day. - Marsha

carrie@northwoods scrapbook said...

Mari!! Holy wow - he's incredibly talented!! What an artist. The detail he's able to create - just on some wood - and on such a smaller scale.

Truly, I'm blown away! How many hours he must need to put in on one piece. Beautiful and amazing!

Can't wait to check out his blog.Thanks for sharing and happy week ahead! xo

Patsy said...

That is just wonderful He is very talented.

Patsy said...

I enjoyed looking and reading his blog very much.

Linda said...

Beautiful! Blessings

marlu said...

Amazing talent! Thanks for sharing.

Zaankali said...

I love seeing how it all came together and thankful my head is permanently attached now. LOL! Thank you for blogging on it. It is at home on our mantle now. I just love it!

Sola Scriptura said...

Wow, he is so talented! I'm amazed at the details he puts into his work. God certainly has given him a talent.

Amy at love made my home said...

Wow, that really is a fabulous piece of work!!!!!! Of course you think that Bob is the best, but so do all the rest of us!!! I am sure that the recipient will love it. xx

Cherdecor said...

A big smile came on my face when I realized who Jennifer was. I love that girl and I don't even really know her. I love her because she says such good things about God and his Word.

Yes, your husband is one of the most talented men that I know. I like it that he gives all the credit to God who gave him his creativity. I know that God smiles every time that Bob produces another carving. They are so neat!

Jean said...

INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Jenny said...

You're justifiably biased but he's more talented than probably any of us realize. This is splendid. I LOVE the pink toenails!!! But the whole piece is so clever. I wish I could convey in words what my Jenny the Pirate carving means to me. It's a marvel. I study it often and cherish it more than I can say. If the house caught on fire, as soon as everyone was safe you can rest assured I'd grab that pirate along with my cameras. xoxo

Bethany Carson said...

That is such beautiful workmanship! Love it and the message!

Rebecca said...

Mari, this is reMARKable! I showed my hubby. We're going to look at his blog :)

Laura said...

I'm a little biased too I guess - but I think he's pretty amazing too. :)

Brooke said...

not bias at all - he is incredibly talented!!!

Just A Southern Girl said...

You're not biased -- he really is quite talented! Such detail and what a wonderful piece to display!

Anita Johnson said...

Love this...I'm a Bible reading kayaker too...but I don't think I have done them together...such talent, what a wonderful gift!