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Traditional Charleston Rice Bed

January 22, 2016 / Mary May / Antique furniture reproduction, Charleston Rice Bed
Rice bed carved by Mary May. Turned and build by Danny Hinson.

Rice bed carved by Mary May. Turned and build by Danny Hinson.

Have you ever seen those Tall Post Beds with designs that look like sheaves of wheat carved into the turned surface? Back in the late 1700’s, Charleston, SC furniture makers carved a variety of these ornately carved beds. However, the designs are not actually carved wheat, but carved rice. The wealthy rice plantation owners often had these beds custom made to celebrate their great wealth from the rice crops.

Why weren’t the carved rice details look more like rice instead of wheat? Well, because symmetrical wheat “heads” are much easier to carve! The rice “head” is much more asymmetrical – almost explosive – and not very easy to carve. So from a design perspective, a wheat design works much better. The photo of the rice bed post to the right is one I carved for Danny Hinson several years ago. You can see the very evenly spaced kernels look more like wheat than rice.

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Wheat plant

rice sheaf

Rice plant

Charleston Rice Bed Carved by Mary May and Turned and Built by Danny Hinson.

Charleston Rice Bed Carved by Mary May and Turned and Built by Danny Hinson.

I have carved 6 Charleston Rice Beds over the past several years, and I just recently finished two.

The beds traditionally have only 2 carved posts at the foot of the bed. The posts at the headboard are very plain because the cloth canopy usually covers those.

Along with carved rice, there are often carved drapery designs, simple laurel leaves or tobacco leaves and rope.

One rice bed that I recently finished was for furniture maker and teacher, Charles Neil who also has a great online woodworking school. Several years ago Charles and 6 of his friends and students came to my tiny little workshop for an entire week to learn woodcarving. I can’t believe I was able to find 7 level spaces for people to work, but we did – with some bruises and cuts, but we all survived. The week was so much fun and I look forward to “entertaining” them again one day.

While the “Charles Neil Gang” was in Charleston, we felt the need to escape the tight quarters of my workshop for a few hours one afternoon and went on a field trip to my friend and neighbor, David Beckford, who is a highly skilled antique furniture restorer. It just so happened that David had an original Charleston Rice Bed in his shop that he was touching up and restoring. We had an opportunity to photograph it and measure it. John, one of the students with us, commissioned Charles Neil and I to make a replica “loosely” based on the original.

Charles did an amazing job turning the legs that he based on the proportions of the original. The bed we made is slightly smaller, but was in proportion with the original. The originals were generally turned from one piece of wood, but Charles turned it in several pieces. This really helped in the carving process, as it is much easier to hold smaller, shorter pieces. Also, as the carving details run into delicate bead molding, Charles strategically made the joined areas at those very awkward areas. This allowed me to freely carve off the edge without being concerned about hitting delicate edges. Very clever! And very helpful to me.

Here are some detailed photos of the carved bed:

Completed Bed Post (without foot)
The "rice sheaf"
The Capital
The "Urn"

I have filmed the entire carving process and am slowly adding it as “episodes” to my online school through the end of February. So far, the “Rice Sheaf” section is available for viewing if you are a Premium Member. You can see a short introduction video here.

The entire carving process will be available for purchase also once the entire series is up on my school.

And now, after completing this very large commission, I am resting my hands and am back to focusing on writing my book on Carving the Acanthus Leaf – The Rite of Passage for the Classical Carver.

 

 

More Acanthus Leaves

January 20, 2016 / Mary May / Wood Carving Tips

I think by the time I finish my book on carving acanthus leaves, I will definitely need a break. Everywhere I go I see them. I’m having lunch with a friend and my eyes wander to a little wall sconce with simple acanthus leaves twisting up the sides. I look at a picture frame with acanthus leaves flowing along the edge. I try to focus on the conversation and notice that the carpet has scrolling acanthus leaves intertwined with one another. I need to finish this book so I can get back to a normal life again – or maybe find something else to obsess over…

My husband and I spent time in Savannah, GA last weekend and took a lot of reference photographs of acanthus leaves that I hope to include in my book. We love Savannah, as it is our “get-away” place that is only a 2 hour drive away from where we live in Charleston, SC. We strolled around the historic streets and southern squares, enjoying the architectural details of cast and carved stone embellishments. We spent hours walking through the many antique stores. When I asked if I could take photos of any examples of acanthus leaves in their stores to include in my book, all were very gracious and gave me full access to their store.

My book focuses on the techniques of carving acanthus leaves in wood. But once you start exploring the many areas that these designs are used, the examples are endless. The photos that I took are of acanthus leaves in a variety of designs and applications – painted porcelain, inlay and marquetry, cloth and tapestry, cast iron, and silverware are just a few areas.

Here are a few examples of exterior architectural decorations – mostly cast stone and metal:

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Painted Porcelain:

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Inlay and Marquetry:

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Cast Iron:

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Cloth and Tapestry:

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And finally – woodcarving

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I can show many more, but I need to know when to stop.

I think there is a second volume of “Carving the Acanthus Leaf” waiting once I finish this one. But first I have to finish this one…

Please sign up to receive newsletters on the progress of the book and there are free things to win. I am currently collecting names for a raffle of a resin casting of one of the acanthus leaves that I show how to carve in my book (photo below). We all like FREE things! Once you sign up, go to the VIP lounge and register your name.resized acanthus

Take the time today to look around – see what designs are in everyday items that we don’t really pay attention to. Happy acanthus leaf searching!

If you are not familiar with my Online School of Traditional Woodcarving, please check it out!. Thanks!

A New Milestone for My Online School of Traditional Woodcarving

November 11, 2015 / Mary May / Online carving school, Wood Carving Education, Wood Carving Tips, Woodcarving classes

We have reached a new milestone at my Online School of Traditional Woodcarving! A total of over 100 individual video lessons are now available, which also adds up to over 200 unique videos (some lessons have multiple episodes).

school-header-logo

A big THANK YOU to all the current and past members who have journeyed with me through this great adventure! I sincerely appreciate your loyalty, encouragement, and friendship along the way. I could not have done this without you! As you learn to carve wood through watching the video lessons, I also have learned a lot over the past 3-1/2 years.

We started the school with one standard definition camera, then moved to 2 standard definition cameras. As the technology improved, we moved with it. We now have 3 Ultra HD cameras and therefore 3 different angles to teach from. Some of these angles are very close-up in order to show great detail of carving cuts. The sound technology has also improved so you can hear even better the “puff, puff” sound of me blowing the wood chips away 🙂

Most of the lessons on the school are close to “real time”. I try not to skip over any part of the carving process and film right through to the end. This can result in some long lessons with multiple episodes, but you can always fast forward through the repetitive parts (or take a nap). Feedback from students is mostly “please leave it all in, even if it gets boring”. Even through the “boring” parts you can learn a lot.

As I film each lesson, I “think out-loud” so you can hear why I make this or that cut, how it is best to carve in this particular direction, etc. I even leave in the mistakes to show how to fix them, or do a design “adjustment” on the fly. Videos can be brutally honest (expecially HD) and you see all the details – probably more than I see as I’m carving!

Here is a list of all the current video lessons available to Premium Members. The lessons that have been added over the past year or so have short introduction videos that you can watch to get an idea of what the lesson is about.

We are now in the process of re-filming many of the beginning lessons to bring them up to HD video quality. Several of the sharpening videos have recently been updated on the site, and these are all available as a FREE member. The following video is one of the newly re-made videos on sharpening a v-chisel.

https://youtu.be/Z9qop7ZnumA

Keep an eye out over the next few weeks, as more of the older beginner lessons will be replaced with better quality videos. These new videos also have new teaching content, as I endeavor to give as much information as possible in each of the lessons. I don’t hold anything back!

I would also like to give a “shout-out” to two people who are an integral part of this school.

  • Bob Easton who is the mastermind behind developing and maintaining the school website. Over the last 3-1/2 years, Bob has worked countless hours behind the scenes, making the site work smoothly, working through technical problems, and helping members (students) if any issues come up. I could not have done this without Bob.
  • Caleb May, my step-son, has been my main video editor for the past year. He has brought new ideas, creativity, and has allowed me to focus on what I love to do most – CARVE! With Caleb taking on the task of working through the complex editing process of 3 camera angles, it has made adding a new episode every week so much easier!

Please sign up for my school newletter where I share any updates to what is happening at the school, recent lessons that have been added, teasers of upcoming lessons, carving tips and tricks, and FREE templates. You will also get weekly notifications when new video episodes are available to watch (every Thursday morning).

Co-Teaching with Ben Hobbs – a Walker Dresser Table Class

November 5, 2015 / Mary May / Wood Carving Tips

Last week was a very unique week. I don’t often co-teach a class, but that is what Ben Hobbs and I did. I don’t think Ben does this often either.

Ben has a wonderfully casual way of teaching. He accommodates all levels of students in a class that covers a lot of difficult techniques. Even when mistakes happen (yes, they do happen sometimes – and this class was no exception), he handles them with good humor and patience, and he always finds a solution out of the problem. Watch this video that will help you to get to know Ben a little more.

Last year Ben had an idea of building a beautiful little dresser table that is at MESDA (Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts) that is attributed to the furniture makers William and Robert Walker, from around 1770. We had discussed collaborating on a class where he would teach the construction and joinery techniques, and I would come in at various times in the class and teach how to carve the tiny ball and claw feet, scroll on the knees, and the detail on the corners of the top of the table (they told me it was called a “baby’s butt”, but I think they’re trying to pull one over). It turned out that I was there for 4 days out of 6. When they got to a particular part of the table where carving was needed, that’s where I would come in and do my part.

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We were able to get through carving one ball and claw foot in a day. Then the next day we pushed it to finish the final 3 – in sort of “production” mode. Some made it through and some needed “encouragement” the next morning to get everyone close to the same point.

During the times that they were doing more joinery work, I watched and learned a lot of techniques that I don’t get the opportunity to learn. I generally focus so much of my energy on carving that I hardly know the basics of woodworking and joinery. I’m a little embarrassed to say that Ben was the first to teach me how to use a hand plane. Odd, eh? 25 years of carving, but never used one. Maybe one day I’ll take the time to build something!

I left on Saturday morning, and they spent that day finishing up the drawers and the rest of the joinery. It was amazing what everyone got accomplished in only 6 days. You should all be very proud! I was happy to be a part of the project.

Next year we are planning another class where Ben teaches how to build a fireplace surround and I teach how to carve the oval sunburst details that are so often seen in period homes – especially in the south. One large horizontal one in the center and 2 smaller, vertical ones on either side – similar to the one below. These are often painted, so we could even carve this in basswood. It would make all our lives so much easier!

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Basic Relief Carving Class at NC Furniture School

November 3, 2015 / Mary May / Wood Carving Tips, Woodcarving classes

Last week I taught a 2 day basic relief carving class at a great new school – The NC Furniure School in Winterville, NC. Stuart Kent, who is the director and founder of the school, has quite an extensive history with furniture and sculptural woodturning. He really does some amazing work, and the massive size of some of his woodturnings defy physics. Check out his website here to see some of his work.

I admire anybody who is bold enough to start a new school. It is difficult in the best of economies, but in little ol’ Winterville, NC it can be quite a challenge in getting the word out about a new school. I would encourage anybody who is interested in learning beginning or advanced furniture making to look into his classes. 2016 classes should be listed on his site soon.

NCFS-logo_header_with_star

The class went great, lots of chips were made, and flowers were blooming! We started with a very basic project just to get familiar with the tools and then carved a project that covers so many carving techniques – the camellia flower. A lot of overlapping elements, some curved and twisting leaves, and the rose carving technique (camellias are so similar to roses) of starting from the center of the flower and carving each consecutive petal as it relates to the previous carved petal. It can be a real brain tease keeping track of the petals, but if you take it in a systematic approach, and focus on one petal at a time, it begins to make sense quickly. Then you take each petal and see how it relates just to the petals immediately next to it. Before you know it, you’ve got a complete flower carved!

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Below is the template I use for class, and also for my School of Traditional Woodcarving. This is one of the lessons available to free members of my online school. You should be able to print this out if you click on it. Also, here is a link to written instructions on how to carve the camellia.

Camellia_template_and_tools

Quite often in my classes I have either professional or hobby woodworkers wanting to embellish their furniture or woodworking projects with carvings. This time there was a slightly different element to the class. A world renowned sculptor and retired art professor, Carl Billingsley, decided to join our “whittling” class. Carl has probably hundreds of his sculptures displayed in private and public galleries and parks through the US and internationally. Many of his sculptures are well over 8 feet tall, bold and aggressive carved pieces of stone or steel and cast metal welded together into various dramatic shapes. I have to admit, I was a little intimidated at first – knowing his own experience with sculpture and teaching. But very soon into the class his gentle, humorous personality assured me that all would be fine. We ended up having some great class discussions where his contributions and insight into 3-dimensional art opened everybody’s eyes to greater understanding. I learned a lot in this class! I could tell that this detailed, small and precise carving was much different from what he was used to, and he said as much. Who knows, maybe he’ll decorate these large, bold metal sculptures with little delicate camellias all over them! Maybe not…

Find out more about Carl and his work here on his website.

 

 

Family bonding with acanthus leaves

October 21, 2015 / Mary May / Acanthus book, Acanthus Leaves

I recently returned from an amazing trip to Europe with my family. It was 2-1/2 weeks of fun, adventure and family memories. Everything about the trip was truly amazing. It’s been difficult to get my head back into work mode… but it must be done.

I came back with my head swirling with acanthus leaves. Being on a one-track mind while writing my book on carving acanthus leaves, I couldn’t get enough of them! My entire family was on a quest of searching for the best example of acanthus leaf that I can use for my book. It was like a treasure hunt wandering through cathedrals, exploring side streets, staring up at stone architectural details. I heard often “Here’s a great one!” I would run over with my camera. “Ooh, Ooh. Check this one out.” It was so much fun. I wish I could have stayed. Acanthus leaves brought us all together as a family – mother-in law, sister-in-law, husband, and 2 step sons. Who needs family therapy when you have a common goal?? I call it acanthus leaf therapy. I think I should patent this.

Here are some photos (acanthus leaves of course) I took while in England & Italy.

Details of carved leaves on St. Mark's Cathedral, Venice, Italy
Capital on St. Mark's Cathedral, Venice, Italy
Different stone capitals, St. Mark's Cathedral, Venice, Italy
Venice, Italy
Venice, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Realistic Acanthus Leaf, Church of Santa Maria Assunta of the Badia Fiorentina, Florence, Italy
Architectural corbel in Florence, Italy
No acanthus leaves to see here...
Exterior stone detail at Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower, Florence, Italy
Exterior stone detail at Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower, Florence, Italy
Lamp pole, Como, Italy
Exterior marble carving Como Cathedral, Lake Como, Italy
Exterior marble carving at Como Cathedral, Lake Como, Italy
Interior marble capital in Como Cathedral, Lake Como, Italy
Interior wood carving in Como Cathedral, Lake Como, Italy
Interior woodcarving rosette at Como Cathedral, Lake Como, Italy
Exterior stone capital of Como Cathedral, Lake Como, Italy
London
London
St. Paul's Cathedral, London
Exterior stone detail on St. Paul's Cathedral, London
Urn outside St. Paul's Cathedral, London

 

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