No testing today. It stormed all night, and continues today. It's put down huge amounts of water - the lane road and field will be severely flooded.



Pretty to watch though.

I began a carving project. I worked on it late last night ... and I've carved all day.



Started with a rough pencil sketch ...



Progressed to an exploratory carving



To stages of refinement ...



This is nearly complete.

It is, or course, the butt stock of the Grizzly 62 rifle. Seemed a good rainy day project. While my hip didn't mind sitting, instead of standing, on this rainy day ... it's had enough now, for awhile.



Different exposures ...



Hope you enjoyed seeing some additional work in progress.

Gary

That's some awesome carving Gary! I love it!

Looks kinda angry, like a grizzly at a town hall meeting.

Excellent work. Can't wait to see it on that big beefy action.

-- Jim

Well Jim ... that's because some bureaucrat tried to give him "End of Life Counseling".

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2009 03:51PM by barnespneumatic.

Will have to get that carving together with the Mountain Man sometime. Photo Op. They ought to be real complimentary to each other. I guess you could photo shop them together. Dory

Nice looking critter there, quite the set of claws. Must be a spring bear, they're the only ones with perfect, undamaged, super-long and sharp cutlery. After they've been out of hibernation a while, roaming about and tearing things apart looking for food their claws are quite a bit worse for wear. Of course it doesn't look much like the ones up here, since you didn't show it dragging around someones trash cans, killing chickens, or stealing their fish from Canadian fly fishermen along the riverbank.

It's interesting to see the progression from concept to completion, and how the original "humpback" look sorta mutated into background scenery instead, while showing the other front paw. It's going to be a VERY distinctive piece.

I'm beginning to think it was a mistake to post the sketch. I keep hearing about how the hump turned into scenery.

I sketched a Grizzly ... with it's characteristic hump. However; I didn't want a "Teddy Bear" (and I thought about putting a trash can in there - but decided against it for some reason) . The carving needed some teeth and claws. Now - there's no natural position where you could see a Bear's back, AND have both it's front legs off the ground ... unless it's spine were badly broken. Therefore, I changed my first sketch. And, I thought some perspective of scenery would look good.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2009 03:43PM by barnespneumatic.

Nice work Gary, the Grizzly is going to be a very special gun!
Cheers
Neil

Actually, I like the current version better anyway, more sharp, pointy stuff in view. The "hump" only becomes a major indentifying feature when you seem them from the side, anyway. Regardless of what the original sketch portrays, it's how the completed work turns out that matters.

With sculpture it's even more so, since the material you work with often dictates what is possible and what isn't. If the Mona Lisa had been done as sculpture instead of a painting, who knows how she'd have turned out. I can just see it now..."oops, didn't think that would chip out, I guess she's gonna be frowning instead"

Gary,

It turned out great.