Look at the molding above the doors in your home. What do you see? The Bolingers saw space for some new and exciting woodcarving designs bound to perk up your home in any season. The designs and tips in this unique book will inspire you to anticipate the seasons and carve a new corner piece for each season or even each month. There are plenty of ideas and designs to provide for an entire year's worth of carving! Paul and Camille Bolinger introduce designs for the home that capture the color, fun, and spirit of the seasons. The innovative and captivating designs give you a variety of quick and easy yet eye-catching items to carve as gifts or for sale. Ten individual patterns are provided in the book along with design ideas and tips, and step-by-step design techniques. The gallery provides detailed shots of finished pieces as well. With the designs and the inspiration you will gather from this book, no corner in your home need go overlooked or under decorated. So, grab some wood and your tools and get carving--your house awaits your creations!

An exhibition catalogue of an installation by Andy Goldsworthy at the Margaret Harvey Gallery, St Albans.

The cowboy was an integral part of the old west. Much of life in those times revolved around him. Not only did he act as a cow nurse, herding, driving, and branding, but he also stacked hay, and built corrals and barns. He should be remembered too for his dedicated defense of the brand he rode for, even in the face of death. The Saturday night shindigs wouldn't have been the same without him either. Most cowboys couldn't dance a lick, but as long as that little gal was in his arms, who cared what the feet were doing! These cowboys were tough men. They were independent but when needed they were there. A rare breed! To carve these qualities into a face is indeed a challenge. Bob Lundy takes the carver through three projects, The Cowboy, The Indian, and The Mountain Man. With informative instructions (laced with a good deal of humor) and clear photographs he goes from the raw wood to a finished, realistic portrayal of these characters of the old west. A gallery of 16 other figures is included to give the reader other ideas. This book is written for both the beginner, who is looking for complete how-to information from start to finish, and for the veteran, who is interested only in a tip here and there to improve their work. Lundy approaches his work with an eye for the personality of the characters. He will instill that sensitivity to the reader, giving the carver a feeling of closeness and intimacy with the people who emerge from the wood.

An" Economist" Book of the Year

Costa Book Award Winner for Biography

Galaxy National Book Award Winner (New Writer of the Year Award)

Edmund de Waal is a world-famous ceramicist. Having spent thirty years making beautiful pots--which are then sold, collected, and handed on--he has a particular sense of the secret lives of objects. When he inherited a collection of 264 tiny Japanese wood and ivory carvings, called netsuke, he wanted to know who had touched and held them, and how the collection had managed to survive.

And so begins this extraordinarily moving memoir and detective story as de Waal discovers both the story of the netsuke and of his family, the Ephrussis, over five generations. A nineteenth-century banking dynasty in Paris and Vienna, the Ephrussis were as rich and respected as the Rothchilds. Yet by the end of the World War II, when the netsuke were hidden from the Nazis in Vienna, this collection of very small carvings was all that remained of their vast empire.

This book is the perfect start for anyone interested in learning how to carve detailed faces. Mary Finn uses her practice stick method to show you how to carve each feature - eyes, nose, closed mouth, open mouth - with step by step directions that even beginners will find easy to follow. Then she shows you how to arrange all of these pieces into one wooden egg to make a convincing head! This method has helped hundreds of Mary's students, and is a sure-fire way to get started! Egg head projects included in this book are an old man, a pirate, and the Mad Hatter. Mary shows you how to adapt her carving techniques to flatter surfaces to make jewelry (like a bolo tie project) and how to paint your pieces for maximum impact. This book is terrific for beginners, and a great way for more advanced carvers to enlarge their skills.

This book is the companion to Public Sculpture of Edinburgh, volume 1, 'The Old Town and South Edinburgh', extending the coverage to the First New Town and its environs, and beyond that to the former independent burgh of Leith. It provides a comprehensive and detailed account of the entire spectrum of public sculptures to be found in these parts of the city, including free-standing commemorative monuments, architectural carvings, and contemporary site-specific interventions. Based on extensive new research, the text is structured as a catalogue raisonne, with each entry comprising a detailed description of the work, an account of how it came to be commissioned, and an analysis of its cultural significance. There are also separate appendices dealing with important works that have been lost or destroyed, minor works and sculptural coats of arms. The study of public sculpture is now recognised as offering a range of new insights into the development of the urban realm. Those insights are brought together here to provide a comprehensive resource for historians, architects, urban planners and conservators, and a narrative history that will be of interest to all who care about Edinburgh, and wish to celebrate its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With clear, concise instructions and 345 detailed photos, Ron Hampton takes the reader through every step required to turn and finish wooden works of art on the mini-lathe. Eight separate projects are turned and finished here, including a cherry goblet, several mushrooms, a turquoise bowl inlay, potpourri pot, leather Indian pot, stone bowl, Hawaiian bowl, and an ornamental bird house. A gallery of other designs is provided for inspiration. Every tool required is listed and explained along with a variety of tool rests. Tool sharpening techniques are discussed and valuable safety tips are provided. This book is perfect for the beginning and intermediate wood turner and will provide valuable ideas for those more advanced.

A genuine labor of love, Loy Harrell has recognized 61 individual decoy carvers, from past to present, located around Lake Champlain. Listed alphabetically, each carver is briefly discussed and examples of their work are illustrated in 263 beautiful color photographs and 52 black and white. There are 352 decoys featured in all. Dr. Harrell has brought his enthusiasm to the reader through personal interviews with many of these accomplished carvers and adeptly portrays the true personality of decoy enthusiasts of the Lake Champlain area. This book is the first of its kind for the Lake Champlain area and pays a long awaited tribute to its carvers and the decoys they have and still are creating.

Follow along with master carver Jeffrey Moore to create a dramatic and lifelike representation of the striking blue wing teal drake. Jeff starts with a preshaped, duplicated wooden bird to simplify the rough carving process, then demonstrates the use of burning and high speed texturing equipment to achieve wonderful carving detail and realistic features. Once the carving is completed, the book takes the reader through each aspect of the airbrushing and brush painting steps needed to complete the teal's body, tail, head, and outstretched wing. In addition, Jeff demonstrates how to create realistic-looking sand and water for the accompanying habitat base. Throughout, detailed instructions accompany the full color photographs. This is a carving project you will treasure for many years to come.

Based on the strong response from carvers around the world, Al Streeman has drawn together a new book of Santa Claus patterns. 35 new patterns are presented along with helpful tips from Al's many years of carving experience. This book is written more for the carver who has some level of experience, but just needs some basic line drawings/patterns to get started. There are also general tips and recommendations as to wood selection, paint colors, and tools. Some of the patterns appear in their final, carved and painted form. so the reader will have 3-D references. The patterns are printed full-size. This is a valuable resource for carvers and a welcome addition to their library.

Using over 220 beautiful color photographs and clear, concise instructions, Ron Ransom takes the reader through all the steps necessary to carve nine of his favorite "Old World" Santas from wood. Patterns are provided for Santas holding a variety of objects, ranging from angels and Christmas trees to a golf club, messages, fishing poles, and even political emblems! Along with the carving instructions (sprinkled with Ron's unique sense of humor), general tips for painting the completed Santas are provided, as well as answers to carvers most frequently asked questions Also, a gallery of finished Santas is presented for further inspiration. Whether the carver has been working with wood for fifteen years or fifteen minutes, this book will be a new treasure.

When Tom Wolfe published his first book on Woodspirits, Tom Wolfe Carves Woodspirits and Walking Sticks, we had no idea how popular it would become. Thousands of people saw it, bought it, and asked for more. So here it is, a new collection of Woodspirits, this time done in the traditional Bavarian way. Carved from a section of a tree, the branch forms the hat. Of course Tom brings his own inimitable style to the carving, making it lively and creative. As always he takes the carver step-by-step through the carving process. There can be no pattern, because each Woodspirit springs from a unique piece of wood. But the technique and the sequence of carving can be easily learned through the step-by-step color illustrations. A gallery of several Woodspirits will give the carver many ideas about the variety and variations they can obtain when they release the Spirits from the Wood.

From the ancient Chinese to St. George to Dungeons and Dragons, these mythical beasts have had a place in the human imagination. Now, with his own imagination running rampant, Tom Wolfe turns his artistry to the dragon. As always, he brings creativity and skill to the task, along with a desire to share the joy of carving with his readers. All steps to carving a dragon are illustrated in color photographs, with concise descriptions of what to do and what effects you are trying to achieve. In addition there is a gallery with patterns and photographs of three other dragons that can be carved using the same techniques. These are dramatic carvings that will challenge the carver and delight those who see the final product. Tom uses both traditional hand carving tools and rotary tools to get the effects that make these dragons so realistic. The carver will find the insights into the techniques for using all these tools quite instructive.

Intricate, painstaking, sturdy yet incredibly delicate...scrimshaw has been a beautiful tradition on the sea and at the sea-side for centuries. Far from the comforts (and distractions) of land, whalers from America, England, Australia, and Portugal could spend the long hours of attention necessary to perfect the scrimshander's art. They forgot their loneliness and discomfort as the crafted pieces like those shown in over 400 vivid color photographs in this new, fascinating book. Martha Lawrence's research covers every facet of the art of scrimshaw, from its origins on whaling ships, to the daily life of the sailor/scrimshander, to the materials, themes, and tools used for creating these objects. She also discusses modern scrimshaw artists. Today's collector will find her chapters on collecting scrimshaw work especially helpful, particularly when used in conjunction with the thorough price guide.

This "how to" book in woodcarving guides us through a hands on, educational journey of snowmen designs and cuttings, including "Igloo Snowman," and "Snowbank Snowman," both rich in color and full of life. Filled with numerous ideas and designs, it presents a fun and easy way to learn decorative woodcarving while perfecting your creative skills. The easy-to-follow instructions define the shape, style of arm you wish to use, traditional or elaborate face, and so on. The "saw out and glue up" technique is explained and displayed in step-by-step carving instructions. The painting techniques are fun and easy to follow and allow for imaginative designs. The finishing touches add details that you, too, will be able to make.

Debbie Barr captures the lighter side of women's daily lives in her carvings, lives filled with triumphs and travails. Debbie takes her readers step-by-step through the process of transforming a block of basswood into a lively caricature with concise instructions, sound advice, and over 250 color illustrations. Once the carving is complete, instructions are also provided for painting the figure. Eight patterns accompany the text. A photographic gallery rounds out the presentation, displaying additional figures sure to provide inspiration and insight to every carver. This book will present satisfying challenges to beginners and will be a joy to the more advanced carvers.

For hopelessly addicted Santa carvers, this wonderful book will spur them to new heights and depths. Here are 60 of Al Streetman's whimsical, humorous caricature patterns, bringing exciting new dimensions to Santa carving. Al takes the carver step-by-step through the carving of a Santa flying on a candy cane to deliver his goods. It is fun to carve and, from Al's experience, is a good seller at carving shows. It offers a slight but not difficult challenge, and can be executed by novices and pros alike. The book provides some tips and tricks for head and hand carving. All in all, the perfect fix for the Santa craving.

These enchanting chess pieces consist of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales' teeth in the form of seated kings and queens, mitred bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders and pawns in the shape of obelisks. They were found in the vicinity of Uig on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, in mysterious circumstances some time before 11th April 1831. Various stories have evolved to explain why they were concealed there, and how they were discovered. This book takes a lively look at the many theories surrounding the ownership of the pieces, why they were hidden and how exactly they were discovered, and places them in the wider context of the ancient game of chess and secular culture of the Middle Ages.

The native American face has long fascinated artists in every medium. Its strong features and deep character present a challenge and an opportunity for visual expression. In this new book, Terry Kramer offers the wood carver a method for creating realistic native American faces in wood. From layout to finish, Terry takes the carver step-by-step through the process. Each step is illustrated in full color and clearly described. A gallery of several carved faces gives the reader an idea of the variations that are possible, as well as guidelines for future carving projects.

Detailed instructions, illustrations for carving animals, flowers, figures, more. Tips on tools, techniques, painting, finishing, exhibiting.

How an eighteenth-century engraving of a slave ship became a cultural icon of Black resistance, identity, and remembrance One of the most iconic images of slavery is a schematic wood engraving depicting the human cargo hold of a slave ship. First published by British abolitionists in 1788, it exposed this widespread commercial practice for what it really was-shocking, immoral, barbaric, unimaginable. Printed as handbills and broadsides, the image Cheryl Finley has termed the "slave ship icon" was easily reproduced, and by the end of the eighteenth century it was circulating by the tens of thousands around the Atlantic rim. Committed to Memory provides the first in-depth look at how this artifact of the fight against slavery became an enduring symbol of Black resistance, identity, and remembrance. Finley traces how the slave ship icon became a powerful tool in the hands of British and American abolitionists, and how its radical potential was rediscovered in the twentieth century by Black artists, activists, writers, filmmakers, and curators. Finley offers provocative new insights into the works of Amiri Baraka, Romare Bearden, Betye Saar, and many others. She demonstrates how the icon was transformed into poetry, literature, visual art, sculpture, performance, and film-and became a medium through which diasporic Africans have reasserted their common identity and memorialized their ancestors. Beautifully illustrated, Committed to Memory features works from around the world, taking readers from the United States and England to West Africa and the Caribbean. It shows how contemporary Black artists and their allies have used this iconic eighteenth-century engraving to reflect on the trauma of slavery and come to terms with its legacy.

This dramatic period in American history comes to life in the carvings of Tom Wolfe. Union and Confederate soldiers are featured with step-by-step illustrated instructions for carving. One figure is carved all the way through, and patterns are provided for others.

Many wood carvers have attempted and failed in carving the nativity, thwarted by the myriad details of so many figures. Now, Lynn Diel brings a refreshing simplicity to the scene. He uses flat plane carving techniques on basswood to create a beautiful tableau that even a novice can successfully complete. Using over 250 color images, 4 patterns, and clear step-by-step instructions, the reader is taken through all the steps necessary to carve and finish each figure in the nativity: Mary, Joseph, Jesus and His creche, an angel, shepherd, the three kings, a camel, donkey, ox, and sheep. All of the easily obtained materials and tools needed for these projects are listed. Once the techniques are mastered, the reader will be able to create many nativity sets sure to be treasured by family and friends for years to come. This book will be inspiring for the novice and a joy for the experienced carver.

Carve lifelike animal-handled canes and walking sticks with power tools. Over 180 clear color photos and concise, informative text take the reader through all the tools, techniques, and individual steps, from carving the blank and setting the eyes to texturing the fur and painting the finished handle. Patterns are provided for fifteen projects to make handles that depict an elephant, bear, sheep, bison, chimpanzee, horse, dog, groundhog, cobra, lion, rabbit, squirrel, tiger, and walrus. Instructions are given for procuring, sizing, and fastening shafts. This book will challenge and delight the novice and inspire a seasoned wood carver.

This book grows out of many requests we have received for animal carving books in general, and for Tom Wolfe animals in particular. His raccoons and hounds have graced the pages of his previous books. His bears, in their original form and as reproductions, have found their way into the hearts of people across the nation. Beginning with a plain block of bass wood or white pine Tom creates a menagerie of characters. Bunnies and bears are the epitome of "cuddly," and are a favorite of children and adults alike. These projects are perfect for the person who carves for relaxation. After bandsawing the patterns, they can be completed with the simplest of tools-a knife, a gouge, a veiner, and nailset. Tom helps the less experienced reader with the basic skills required for carving. Those who are more experienced will value a few of the secrets and shortcuts he has learned over the years. The projects can be adapted so that your bear or bunny will take on a different character through its size, position, and/or color. Your imagination is all that is necessary to make the changes.