• From Sándor Csata on Workshop Tour - Beginner Lesson #16

    Thank you Mary for the guided tour. You have got fantastic artifacts in your shop. It feels like in a Museum.

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    2013/09/06 at 11:39 am
  • From David Taylor on Carving a Grape & Leaf Design - Episode 1

    This is a pretty piece. My mother is one of those people with a theme house, and I grew up surrounded by grapes. Grape wallpaper, copper grape jello molds hanging on the walls, plastic grapes in basket cornucopias on the coffee table, just grapes everywhere. While I watched these videos, I was struck with an idea. You mention repeating the pattern on a frieze, I am thinking around the sides and up on the top of a small box, I think Mom would like that.

    One question - I didn't see you do so, and at the end when you were turning the piece around, I only got a glimpse of the edges, but did you undercut the leaf at all?

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    2013/09/05 at 10:31 pm
    • From Mary May on Carving a Grape & Leaf Design - Episode 1

      Hi David,
      I did not intentionally undercut this, but it certainly can be done, and would really make the leaf stand out. With basswood, I wouldn't try to undercut it too much, as it can get very fragile - just enough so you don't see the straight edges. If you do undercut, it's best to do this towards the end of the carving. Just keep in mind, when you make those initial vertical cuts that define the edge of the leaf, don't make them to deep, as they will show as cuts in the background - unless you lower the background to a depth below these 🙂

      Happy carving!

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      2013/09/09 at 9:57 pm
  • From Bob Easton on Carving a Grape & Leaf Design - Episode 1

    Oh.... Other people get knotty wood too?

    More than once, I've ended up making a background lower than originally intended. After digging a valley to get the knotty area smooth, the valley had to be eliminated by taking everything else down yet more. You make it look easy!

    Thanks for another helpful lesson through a difficult part of the carving.

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    2013/09/05 at 2:59 pm
    • From Mary May on Carving a Grape & Leaf Design - Episode 1

      Pretty soon you reach the bench, and carving into the bench is not good.

      And there is NO way you can make these cuts with the grain without something coming up and biting you. These can only be cut securely across the grain.

      Have fun!

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      2013/09/05 at 5:37 pm
  • From Bob Edwards on Carving a Shell & Acanthus Leaf Design - Episode 1

    Mary, I too would like to have casting of this, Bob Edwards, Gainesville Ga

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    2013/08/24 at 4:56 pm
  • From Autumn Doucet on Carving a Shell & Acanthus Leaf Design - Episode 1

    Do you have a plaster casting available for purchase of the shell and acanthus mirror carving?

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    2013/08/18 at 5:18 pm
    • From Mary May on Carving a Shell & Acanthus Leaf Design - Episode 1

      Autumn,
      I did make a rubber mold of this, but will probably need to make the casting with resin so it is more stable, which will make it more expensive. It might be as much as $45 or $50 for the casting. If you're interested, let me know and I will make one.

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      2013/08/18 at 10:25 pm