Good Practice!

This is the time of year where the blahs can get you, if you don't watch out.  I fight it, every year.  But it's not as hard a fight since I started carving.  I set a goal for some of my carving.  I've posted that I carve at least one Santa pin or ornament each day.  If one has the time to carve this much it's a great way to achieve several things that may be important.  First, it's productive time spent that helps keep the blahs in check.  Second, it provides an exercise in being creative.  Carving a Santa pin/ornament each day results in having lots of little hand made gifts for the next Holiday season.  No last minute panic to produce or purchase items for gifts.  But another important thing that can be accomplished, is the planned practice, practice, practice on several levels.  There is the obvious repetition of carving the ornament or pin every day.  But what you can do is to try to improve each day, in a specific way.  You can experiment with different expressions, and change the way you draw the Santa on the wood.  What I will do is to get several Santa's carved and then do all the beards at one time.  I'll experiment with the V tool as well as the knife to texture the beard.  As soon as I do one Santa, I'll look at it and see what needs changing and practice.  I'll decide what needs to be improved on, and make the necessary improvements on the next pieces.  This is the IMPORTANT thing; make the necessary or wanted improvements or changes and then practice them on the pieces that you have carved.  If you don't identify the improvements and/or changes needed you'll just be  reinforcing the same ol', same ol' by practice.

 

I'll be practicing using the V-tool to add texture to the Santa beards.  With several carvings available I'll be getting some good practice.