Carving & Painting Adorable Animals in Wood. Desiree Hajny

to the subject that are significant to you.

       Out of these, select the ideas, experiences, and feelings that you believe are the most important.

       Relate these ideas through the use of materials (media) in an orderly arrangement (design) that emphasizes reality in a personal way (style).

      The feeling of a carving subject is lost unless it is backed by knowledge about the subject. You must understand and study your subject. I mention in the introduction my frustration in my first teaching experience in a ranching community. There were things that were significant to me that did not interest the students at all. When I introduced carving as a unit of study, it piqued some interest, because most of the boys, and some girls, carried pocketknives to school as part of their attire related to their lives on the ranch. The knives were necessary for the work they were used to doing. This interest was furthered when the students were given the choice of what to carve. I learned more about rodeos, cowboys, steers, bulls, and horses than I could ever have imagined during my time at that school. These weren’t subjects that I was particularly interested in, but the students were.

      If you are particularly interested in something, like the sport of rodeo, for example, channel that interest into your carvings instead of forcing yourself to just carve calm, grazing horses. Your work will be stronger and you will be happier.Zoos are a perfect place to study your subjects in real life. The Internet, of course, has many videos and photos, but there is nothing like watching the living, breathing animal just feet away from you.

      Applying yourself to things you are interested in will help you reach your potential. If you’re not interested in something, look for something else. This message especially hit home with me years back, when a veterinary office commissioned me to do a carving of each breed of dog on the chart in their office. There was no room for changing the pose of each dog, and soon I became uninterested and couldn’t continue. I’d always been a dog person, but I simply wasn’t that interested in carving many of the breeds on the chart, and the lack of flexibility was stifling.

      I can’t stress enough the importance of being excited about your project. Once you have decided what it is you want to do, gather as much information as possible. Today, many online resources are available. I admit, when it comes to modern technology, I am a bit of a dinosaur, but if I have a deep interest in a project, I may need further information that resource books alone can’t provide.

      Sometimes, though, my research is more hands-on. I love to go to zoos to watch my subjects move. I try to focus on different parts of the animal in question and think of how I will incorporate these different aspects into my finished product. How the hip tilts…backbone and lumbar movements…how one body part moves while another is moving... The study of shapes and curves is important to ensure the flow of a design, whether it is a stylized, realistic, or cartoon-like design. If you are interested in carving people, go to public events and people watch. In circumstances such as a sporting event, you will see a wide variety of looks and emotional responses.

      Taxidermy mounts are good reference, but keep in mind that a particular mount may not always be accurate when compared to a live animal. Sometimes the skins mounted are old and cracking. Sometimes the taxidermist may not have done his or her homework. But there is usually consistency in the nose pads, claws, dewclaws, hooves, antlers, and ears.

      In the past, while carving canines, I would put our dog to work. I’d observe her, and if I had a question about how one part of her body moved in conjunction with another, I’d try to pose her in that particular position. I got some strange glances from her over this, but it is an interesting and realistic manner of checking into a particular question I may have.

      Don’t be afraid to search deeper into your subject. You might touch upon a certain element that makes your mouth water or that gives you goosebumps. Years ago, I was working on a carving that held special interest to me. It was a wolf mother and her pups, and it was a gift for my mother; the pups represented myself and each of my brothers. I enjoyed the process, and it became much more meaningful to me because I was able to give features to each of the pups that reminded me of each family member. Naturally, there was a great difference of opinion among my brothers as to which puppy represented each child in the family—not to mention what my mother thought!

      Taxidermy mounts can be good reference for things like antlers, claws, and nose pads, but are sometimes less reliable for skin and other aspects.Try using modeling clay instead of paper and pencil to create a “sketch” of your carving.

      Once you are firmly inspired and have sought out your references and research, sketch ideas. These sketches will aid in the process of visualizing and planning your carving. In planning a successful carving, you must have a basic structural understanding of the forms to be used in order to create the finished product. These sketches can be considered a rehearsal for the carving process. Creating ideas and redrawing and refining them will help you get to the carving stage with confidence. Sometimes you’ll make several sketches and then combine them together into one idea.

      For those of you that feel you can’t draw, try using clay for your “sketching.” You can twist and turn the clay until you get what you want. Not everyone possesses the ability to visualize three-dimensional works from a two-dimensional rendition. The clay will work well for those with skills in the tactile-kinesthetic area.

      Ideas feed off of other ideas. Bounce ideas off others and get reactions from a spouse, parent, best friend, or someone else who will be honest with you. If you can learn to get past the initial shock of a possible critique, you can often gain valuable input.

      The key takeaway here when it comes to research is to undertake a subject that is of interest to you and that will hold your interest for the duration of the project.