Follow My Carving - Step 14 - It's Finished

The finished carving is ready. The dark walnut frame truly compliments the honey-brown carving. And the beautiful sienna and white stained glass are a perfect accent, creating a dramatic backdrop for the old oak.

Visit the Heartwood Art site to see a slide show of how both the tree and glass change color with the light.

If you have enjoyed watching this carving as it was created, leave a comment or drop me a line at carvings at HeartwoodArt dot com.

You can see more carvings at the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 13

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.

It’s time for the final assembly. After checking all the pieces for fit, holes are drilled in the lower frame piece and in both feet so they can be attached later with small screws. A rubber band is used to help hold all the frame pieces together while the stained glass is inserted behind the carving. The rubber band also helps hold the full assembly together while the corners are being glued. This allows each frame piece to be separated at the corners just enough to swab the interior with wood glue while still holding the rest of the pieces in place.

After applying all the glue, special right-angled metal pieces are placed at each corner. One side is bent to fit under the frame while the other side is bent in the opposite direction to help keep the banding strap in place. The orange banding strap is slowly tightened as the frame is routinely checked for a square fit. Once the strap is secured as tight as it will go, the assembly is left overnight, allowing the wood glue to cure fully. The next step will be to insert tiny nails into the corners. Gluing the assembly together first ensures that it will be held dead square when the nails are inserted.

The finished piece will be ready soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 12

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.

Now that the carving is oiled, it’s time to move on to finishing the frame. The pieces have been cut to size and interior grooves have been routed to a depth of 1/8 inch. These will securely hold in place both the carving and the sheet of stained glass that will go behind it. Careful placement of these grooves is tricky business because so many factors must be considered. First, enough depth must be left in front to have a little interior frame face before the carving begins. Second, enough space must be left in the back to give enough frame for a wall hanger to penetrate the frame enough to be secure, but not enough to hit the glass. (Wall hangers on carvings with glass are optional, but not usually requested by clients.) Third, enough space must be left between the grooves to allow the base feet pieces to be screwed into place. This space also yields just enough distance between the carving and the glass to give the illusion of even more depth to the piece by allowing the tree to cast shadows on the glass.

Now it’s time to do the stinky stuff. To stain the frames, I made a couple of hangers, pictured here. I got the idea from a banana hanger. The same technique used on the carvings is employed here. Staples are placed in the ends of the pieces and they are strung top and bottom to the hanger on the left. This holds them in place while all surfaces are stained. When finished, they are hung from the top from the hanger on the right and allowed to dry fully. The carving is left in the suspension frame used to oil it while a very thin coat of clear lacquer is applied. This type of sealant is necessary; else the oil would leach out over time and dry the wood to the point of becoming brittle. The lacquer also gives a wee bit of sheen to the carving that catches light on the highest points, giving the illusion of even more depth in the valleys of the bark.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 11

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.

Danish oil is applied to the carving. It takes several light layers. The raw wood really drinks in the first two coats, which can be applied the same day. After that, each coat must be allowed at least a day to soak in before the next coat can be applied.

Here you can see that the oiling process helps deepen the illusion of shadows created by shaping the limbs and varying the depth of the bark carving.

It also gives the same illusion of depth to the roots and helps distinguish one from another. Since the wood has just been oiled, it has a slight sheen to it. That gloss will dissipate as the oil soaks into the wood.

Below is a picture of the carving strung to the oiling frame. Several coats of oil have now been added. Notice the rich honey-brown color the birch wood is taking on.

Suspending the carving in this type of frame allows it to be oiled on both sides simultaneously. It also lets the carving dry properly between coats.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 10

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.

Now that the bark carving is finished, it’s time to put on the first coat of oil. But first, a suspension frame must be built to allow the carving to be oiled on all sides simultaneously. Since the carving is 11x11 inches, the frame is sized to allow about ½ inch clearance on all sides. The interior of this frame is 12x12 inches and is made from 1x3 pine stock. Drywall screws are placed on the topside, but not screwed all the way in. This will allow the carving to be strung across the frame in suspension.

Next, the carving is prepared.
A staple gun is loaded with 3/8 inch staples and the wire guide is set in the active position. This will allow the staples to be firmly secured and leave enough room to insert wires for attaching the carving to the suspension frame.


Since so much material has been removed from the carving, it is far too weak to insert the staples while standing upright. The carving must be laid flat, with one side near the edge of the bench and held in place by pressing down firmly from the top. Great care must be taken to exert enough pressure with the gun to secure the staple, but not so much as to crack the carving.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 9

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.


More bark carving. When you look closely, you will find subtle details such as the illusion of a knot (in the bottom right corner) and the directional flow of the bark wherever there is a split in the branch. The same undercut technique that was employed on the roots is also used to help shape these splits. It contributes to the illusion of depth, making one branch seems to go farther back than another.

The ability to cast these subtle shadows is the real trick of relief carving. The brain interprets shadows as a recess and will accept the illusion of more depth where none really exists.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 8

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.


Bark carving detail is added to the smaller branches. Great care must be taken to keep the bark flowing with the lay of the branch while angling the gouge to make a smooth cut that doesn’t go across the grain any more than necessary. It is important to make some of the strokes go over the edge. This significantly contributes to the illusions of depth and roundness of the branch.

These small branches are the weakest part of the piece, especially those that are not fully anchored, such as the one in the lower right. To avoid applying too much pressure to these areas, the gouge must be kept razor sharp. It is honed on the leather strop every five strokes.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 7

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.

Before fully carving a limb, detail is added to the know area. This can be done with micro carving gouges, but is generally more precise using a rotary tool with a very small, round bit. The edges of the hole part of the know will be feathered out to make it look weathered. A stop-cut is made around the outside of the knot. This shallow, single-line cut helps prevent a gouge from carving through the knot when cutting toward it during bark carving.

On the lower limb, you can see the effect of cutting across the grain or cutting into section that has loose grain. The wood tears slightly. After the bark carving is finished, areas like these will need to be smoothed with the rotary tool on very low speed using a needle shaped bit. It will basically act as a precision micro-sander. This tool is also used to smooth the area around the stop-cut and blend it with the rest of the limb.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 6

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.



Time to begin the bark carving. This requires the use of micro carving gouges. You may have noticed a few splinters at the edge of a carving stroke. The gouges must be kept razor sharp to keep this type of tear-out to a minimum. A leather strop is kept handy at all times during this phase and the gouges are honed about every twenty strokes. This makes a world of difference in whether the tool is cutting through the wood or just ripping it apart.

Here’s a picture of the micro carving tools I use. The pencil will give you an idea of the small size.



The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 5

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.



Before the detail carving is done on the tree itself, the areas outside the circle are sanded smooth. The tree itself cannot be sanded, else it would loose all detail. Having smooth and rough surfaces on the same piece will help give the sections definition. During the finishing process, the oil will penetrate further into the rough surfaces than on the smooth surfaces. Because of this, each section will be a slightly different color, which will help distinguish the main part of the carving from its surroundings.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 4

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.



The same detail treatment is given to the roots as was used on the wood spirit portal. A special undercutting technique helps cast shadows that differentiate one root from another without causing a wide gap between them. This results in three distinct layers emerging from only a 1/4 inch thick piece of wood. When the final oil is applied, more if it will gather in the crevices between each root. This will result in making the shadows even more pronounced and contributing to the illusion of depth.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 3

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.



Before carving the bark, more fine detail is given to the knot in the trunk, which also serves as the wood spirit portal. Because it lies on the outer surface of the trunk, the cuts cannot be too deep. Special undercutting techniques are used to create the shadows and give an illusion of depth well beyond the actual depth of the cut. This requires precision use of micro carving tools and extraordinary patience. Many shallow strokes are necessary to carve the shape and deepen the lines.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 2

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step.

The first detail carving I add is to the outer circle that provides the illusion of an ornate frame or border and enhances the shape of the tree. This area is carved first because it requires turning the piece in different directions to work with the grain of the wood. Sometimes this requires the cut to be made toward the tree. Any nicks to the tree can easily be dealt with once the bark carving begins.

This photo also allows you to see more of the underlying structural carving on the limbs, which gives them shape. Very little wood is removed from the smaller branches because doing so would make them weak. Near the edges, the majority of the wood will be removed during the bark carving phase.

You might also notice there are only a few crossing limbs. They are very difficult to cut and even more difficult to carve. Where they are placed has as much to do with structural integrity and ability to cut as with aesthetics. It’s a keen balance between function and fashion.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Follow My Carving - Step 1

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in the winter issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, a new series is being added to the blog and site titled "Follow My Carving". The prototype of this piece will be shown in one of the magazines. Now you can follow along as it is finished, step-by-step. Below is the first installment.



This blank started as a 1/4 inch piece of birch measuring 11 x 11 inches. It was hand-selected for this project by my favorite old-world craftsman, Del Craft, who owns Del’s Woodcraft, located in Colorado. He supplies all the thin wood for Heartwood Art carvings.

It took over a month to draw the pattern. It must be as architecturally sound as it is aesthetically pleasing. As you know, wood comes from a round source. As long as it is in a solid plank, it remains fairly straight. But, when big sections are removed it tends to bow. The design must hold the structure of the wood or it could explode. This is also why the blank must be hand-selected. Del can read the grain and picks a piece that will aid the design.

After the pattern is cut on a scroll saw, the limbs must be shaped on both the front and back. Shaping on the backside simply involves removing the squared edges so that, when viewed from the front, the limb seems to be truly round. Shaping on the front and sides is much more involved. It gives the tree its underlying form. If done well, it also infers the effect of motion and deeper dimensionality by casting slight shadows.

At this stage, the piece has its basic form and is ready for detail carving.

The next installment is coming soon.

To see more carvings, please visit the Heartwood Art site.

Woodcarving Illustrated to feature Heartwood Art

Carvings from Heartwood Art will be feautred in two national woodcarving magazines from Fox Chapel Publishing, the industry leader in woodworking books. Because the tree and stained glass carvings combine multiple disciplines, the editor chose to feature them in the 2008 winter editions of both Woodcarving Illustrated and Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts.

For more information and to see the latest carvings, visit Heartwood Art.com

New 2008 series of carvings on the way

MaAnna is creating another round tree series for 2008.The first carving will be a mighty oak with exposed roots.There is an ornate circle around the treewhich is highlighted by a square framewith additional carvings.

The series will eventually include beautiful chip carvingaround the outer frame as well as well as wall mount treeswithout the stained glass backing. The first carving should be finished early this summer.

To be notified when new art becomes available, click here

Only one left in 2007 series

The latest carving, with the beautiful deep red and orange glass sold the day it was finished. It dramatically changes color between day and night. Pictures are on the site. There's only one tree left in the 2007 Knotty Tree series. It's a lovely maple wood with soft yellow glass behind.

Bigger carvings are planned for 2008 including a woman made out of flame. I'm currently working on drawings for another tree series that will have a circular design as well. Keep checking back on this blog or the site for updates.

Heartwood Art usually sells very quickly. To be among the first notified when new art becomes available, go to the site and sign up for the email list.