Tony's Fan Carving

So, my father-in-law, Jeff, had a special request for me. He wanted me to carve an owl for him. Since I had never carved an owl before, I said, “sure!” Well, this wasn’t going to be a fan bird, just a straight up carving, which I typically don’t do.

The story is, his mother passed away a few years back, and at the house he grew up in, she had planted a Catalpa tree in the back yard over 40 years ago. His mother loved owls, and it would mean a lot to him if I carved an owl from a piece of that very Catalpa tree that his mother planted. I am no expert carver, but this is what I came up with:

I kept it simple.  Not a lot of detail. I ended up sanding it and gave it a coat of Danish oil to bring out the grain. Thanks for looking!

I have made angels before, but only with wings on the back. I was trying to think of a way to also incorporate a fan for the angel’s gown. So this is my attempt. I just wanted to see how the body and the fan for the wings and gown would come together. I think I am on the right track.

Here is one of my larger birds.

It still amazes me that this is one piece of wood.

So I set up shop in the basement because it is about 7 degree F out, so the garage is probably 10 degrees. I have manufactured a bird stand with some oak dowels and an end plate for a hand rail. This differs from my other stand that has a brass rod. I think I will make a few more to see how people like them at the carving show coming up.

For all of you Metro Detroiters, the 36th Annual Metro Wood Carver Michigan carving show is coming in March. I will be there showcasing my fan birds amongst some very talented wood carvers. See details in the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1724408984512075/

Artistic Creations in Wood
36th Annual
2016 Wood Carving Show

http://www.metrocarvers.com/show.html

I am looking forward to participating in this great event for my 2nd year.

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