Follow My Carving - Gaia - Final Step

To celebrate Heartwood Art carvings being featured in upcoming issues of Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw magazines, the "Follow My Carving" series was created to give you a an insider’s view on how the art is made. This Gaia carving was requested by my dear friend who kindly took the pictures that will be featured in the magazines.


She’s finished! Several light coats of oil were hand-rubbed onto the surface giving it a soft sheen. The base was cut from the same stock as the carving. The tiered edges were created with one pass through a single router bit. It was rubbed with the same oil, but an oil-based pigment was also applied, giving the distinctive color.

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

Follow My Carving - Gaia - Step 10

The first two coats of Danish oil have been applied. You can tell by the sheen on the surface that it will take another day for the last coat to fully soak in. The backside shot shows how the oil really brings out the quality of the grain. A few more light coats and then it will be ready for the finish.

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

Follow My Carving - Gaia - Step 9

No, I didn’t kill the carving, but I did hang it out to dry. The Gaia is now ready for the oiling phase. For extra height, I modified the jig I use to stain frame pieces for the tree carvings. I also placed a staple on the underside of the carving, just as I do when I’m oiling a tree carving. This allows the carving to receive oil on all sides simultaneously.

The reason it is hanging upside down is so the oil will not pool in the crevices or tight V places where the limbs meet.

I prefer to use Danish oil because it really soaks into the wood and will give the wood a light honey-brown color. The first two coats can be applied the same day. I use a small artist’s paint brush to apply the oil. (Preferably a brush specifically made for oil paints.) Since the carving has been sanded so smooth, it’s like painting on glass, which is a far different experience than oiling one of the tree carvings.

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

Follow My Carving - Gaia - Step 8

The rough sanding is nearly complete. A little more has to be done in the tight V areas between the branches. That requires using the pencil type sanding sticks pictured above. A narrow band of sandpaper is placed around the stick. Once an area of sandpaper is used up, the band is simply rotated.

You’ll notice that each pencil is a different color. (There are four in all.) They are also slightly different lengths as are the sandpaper bands. Each length is a different grit. The brightly colored pencils make it easy to quickly chose the right grit for the job.

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