| To attain my goals and my mission, was going | | | | imaginative things, so I got started, and |
| to require taking chances. And, to take | | | | some of the ideas I came up were out in left |
| risks with my work would require that I be | | | | field for sure, but these were the things |
| honest with myself. My confidence and | | | | that made happy FIRST and those pieces |
| self-esteem would have to be high and it | | | | included:Donut: This is a simple piece to |
| would take courage, too! I took an inventory | | | | carve, and this piece I never sold because I |
| of my qualities (yeah, right!), to see if I | | | | had so much fun with it over the years. A |
| had the right stuff to do this. Was my | | | | chocolate donut, complete with frosting on |
| self-esteem and confidence relatively high? | | | | top and was about the same size as a real |
| Did I have the courage to take chances out in | | | | donut. I placed the "donut" in a Dunkin |
| public? Could I deal with rejection and | | | | donuts sack, complete with tissue, and some |
| failure? Can I get "egg on my face" and | | | | people were amazed at how real it looked. |
| survive? Could I suffer through embarrassing | | | | The person reaching down into the sack to get |
| moments? Could I eat a little "crow" along | | | | the "donut" wasn't aware that it was made of |
| the way? The answer to all these questions | | | | wood, and they would always ask: "How old is |
| was NO...I WANT MY MOMMY!To take chances with | | | | this donut?" I had a lot of fun with |
| my work, I would have to "go against the | | | | it.Little black bear cub in a high-chair: |
| grain" (woodcarver, get it?) I would have to | | | | Over the years, this was my best seller! The |
| go off the beaten path. (I was already off | | | | little bear cub measured about an inch tall |
| everybody's beaten path) I really didn't | | | | and the red and white high-chair measured |
| know the answers to all these questions I | | | | about 5 inches tall. As soon as I placed one |
| asked myself, but I wanted to do what pleased | | | | of these out on my display...to was gone! I |
| me FIRST, and then hopefully others would | | | | would usually take about ten of these with me |
| like my work as well. There's a big | | | | and they would all sell.Lion sitting in a |
| difference in producing something that will | | | | bathtub: This was my second best seller. At |
| never go before the public. It's quite | | | | an art show, it didn't take long for this |
| another thing when you produce something for | | | | piece to disappear either.Flu bug sick in bed |
| public show, etc.I've always been a | | | | with the flu! I figured if a person can get |
| competitive person, and I don't like to lose | | | | the flu, why can't a flu bug get the flu? |
| at anything! Checkers; ping-pong; | | | | So, I carved the little flu bug (about 2" |
| basketball; football; golf; tennis; | | | | long) out of redwood. I made a little bed |
| cards...you name it. I don't like to lose, | | | | out of masonite; complete with a tiny pillow |
| but if I do, I consider myself a good loser | | | | and bed sheet. The little flu was covered |
| and a good sport. I don't go off throwing a | | | | with a blanket. And, the caption on a small |
| temper-tantrum all over the county because I | | | | piece of card stock read, "Flu bug sick in |
| lost a silly game of checkers! (I just call | | | | bed with the flu"Caterpillar wearing a brown |
| my buddy in the Mafia...Vinnie Testasterone, | | | | derby: About as silly as it gets, right? I |
| to put out a contract on the person who beat | | | | carved a caterpillar and painted it lime |
| me and it's all taken care)I started carving | | | | green, and mounted it on a branch about 10 |
| wood, when I was in the ninth grade in middle | | | | inches long. And yes, I took it to a show |
| school. In the wood shop I was taking, just | | | | and put it on display. A couple of hours I |
| about all the students were building projects | | | | sold it to a fellow, and I asked him why he |
| such as a coffee table; bookcase; chairs and | | | | bought it, and the answer was; "Because I |
| because all these projects were made of | | | | like it!"Volkswagen: I have no idea where |
| hardwood, they could be expensive. Because | | | | this idea came from but I carved a Volkswagen |
| my parents didn't have much money for the | | | | in pine that had two front ends. (no trunk) |
| class, I had to keep my projects affordable | | | | Because most of my work was captioned, the |
| and simple.My wood shop instructor had an | | | | caption read, "Make up your mind...are you |
| on-going project of carving little animal | | | | coming or going?" I sold this piece to a |
| characters, and he kept a few of them on his | | | | woman, who said her boyfriend didn't know if |
| desk. (show-off) Small carvings which | | | | he was coming or going half the time, so this |
| measured about 5-6 inches tall...a giraffe; | | | | piece was perfect for him.A fawcett: The |
| dog; cat; elephant and so forth. They were | | | | water fawcett was painted silver like the |
| inexpensive to make, and I liked the looks of | | | | real thing, with a wood water drop coming out |
| them, so I wanted to try wood carving.I got | | | | of it. The drop was painted a very light |
| started on the animal pieces, and a few weeks | | | | blue, and had a funny face on it. The |
| after I completed a few pieces, I compared | | | | caption on the very small piece of card stock |
| the same piece to my instructor's wood | | | | read, "Whatever turns you on...or off!" I |
| pieces...and, I was surprised! MY | | | | sold this piece to a woman whose husband was |
| INSTRUCTOR'S WOOD PIECES WERE ALMOST AS GOOD | | | | a plumber.Friendly octopus; I saw a picture |
| AS MINE! (Just kidding!) Let the chips fall | | | | of an octopus on a billboard and I wanted |
| where they may, was the cry for the rest of | | | | one. So I carved one. The legs were cut out |
| the year and I completed the woodworking | | | | of half inch redwood and the body out of 2" |
| class.Many years later, when I was | | | | redwood and all the pieces were glued |
| thirty-something, I took wood carving up | | | | together after they were carved. The octopus |
| again. And, because I liked the little | | | | was painted a very dirty brown/dark green and |
| animals, I continued with them. I carved | | | | it was shown at Octopus Car Wash for a |
| about a dozen pieces, and took them with me | | | | while.Skunk: This piece was painted back and |
| to the flea market, along with a lot ot other | | | | white like a real skunk and carried a sign |
| junk, and to get reaction from the public on | | | | which read: "Help Stop Pollution!"Basket |
| the wood pieces. A woman stopped my my | | | | Case: My wife bought some cookies that come |
| display and saw the little "critters" as she | | | | in a small straw basket about 5" long and two |
| called them, and invited me to participate in | | | | inches high. I carved a female patient |
| an arts and crafts show in Santa Fe, New | | | | wearing hospital pajamas to fit the little |
| Mexico.During this period of time, I went | | | | basket and now I had my "Basket Case!"These |
| down to Old Town (Albuquerque), where there | | | | were a few of the over 200 different original |
| were several shops and galleries, to show | | | | wood carvings I produced over the years. |
| business owners my work, and to see if I | | | | And, as you can see, I took a lot of chances |
| could sell my work on consignment, etc. I | | | | with my work. And, because I've been in the |
| only visited one shop and I decided this | | | | humor business most of my life, 90% of the |
| wasn't for me. The shop owner liked my work, | | | | pieces were cartoon-like characters in |
| but she was interested in buying wood pieces | | | | wood.So, take a few chances with your work |
| of a southwestern nature...roadrunners; | | | | and just use caution and common sense. If |
| cowboys; bulls and so forth.I decided very | | | | you have to eat a little "crow" in the |
| quickly that I was not going to spend the | | | | process once in a while...trust me...it |
| rest of my life carving roadrunners and bulls | | | | doesn't taste so bad! Over the years, I've |
| just to make a buck or two! I didn't go back | | | | eaten a whole flock of "crow! |
| to a shop again! I had already decided to do | | | | |