So I've Taken Up Wood Carving....

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments. They really do mean a lot to me.

I'm just hoping that they won't call the wedding off now!

 

Never in all my days would I think I would be carving one of these. I have a huge phobia of frogs and toads btw. But my neighbour asked me to carve one for him. Hopefully he will like it.

 

Nice one Jane Bit like me trying to carve a slug then

Frightened meself the other day, i'd put a gone off banana under a tomato plant, thought it was a huge one

 

I'm thinking about carving a snail soon, but I don't think they would be very popular. I hate slugs too, but can tolerate them. I do hate when you lift a pot up and touch one though. The gift shop I work in sell toy slugs like look really life like and kids buy that suprisingly.

I should also add to this thread that I just so happened to chance a meeting with a new gallery owner who has heard about my little birds from a friend of hers and is keen for me to arrnage a meeting with her. I'm now trying to figure out how I can do this dipolmactically so I don't upset my friend who is currently selling them in her shop.

 

Different "range" of carvings for each shop'? Birds vs. Animals, or different carving style (I imagine that's not an option - you can tell I'm no artist!)

 

If you can keep up JJ why not supply to both,it will mean a lot of work though but you can do it

 

They look very elegant

 

Can you give me a price on 3 of these please? (the wise men?)

and 2 robins too.

Thanks!

 

Thanks for your interest. I will drop you a pm shortly.

 

I should update this thread as I have been distracted by other things going on in my life.

I told the shop owner about me potentially taking some to be exhibited and she handed all my birds back to me.

I then contacted the gallery owner via email and attached photos of all the work I felt was good enough to present to her.

Anyway I received a swift response saying that she felt that they were too "cartoon like" to exhibit in her gallery and that I should try a garden centre.

Felt pretty deflated by this but have another exhibition coming up next month at the nature park I volunteer at along with other local artists. So hopefully something will come from that.

Quite a few people have said to me that they feel that the birds and other carvings don't belong in an art gallery and I do sort of agree. But she approached me rather than me approaching her.

 

It is a set back Jane but don't be put off, there are plenty of people out there that do and will appreciate your work.

You really should try craft fairs, especially leading up to Christmas. My daughter started with those and progressed to internet selling.

 

Well I went back to the gallery after it had opened officially and spoke to the owner. She was still really enthusiastic to have some of my carvings and gave me lots of suggestions on what to create that would fit into her gallery. One suggestion being carving in drfitwood, which I've never attempted before and it should be fun trying to salvage some, as well as it being free. She's given me another idea which I should hopefully be able to start on next week, so it's not all bad news.

 

This carving I just finished for my dad's modelling project. He's become obsessed with the film Castaway and was building a sort of replica of the raft in the film. Anyway he asked me to carve the man. He was carved out of spalted silver birch (hence the dark patches on his skin) and then gave him walnut hair and beard.



Perhaps I went a little too far with the making a little Wilson to go with him too.

 

This is one of my exhibits at a local exhibition taking place at my local nature park which starts tomorrow. Fingers cross someone will buy some.