V&A panel

The great thing about having an open workshop for two weeks, is that I actually have time to carve. With the sun streaming in it's ideal conditions, so let's crack on.

 

I've been meaning to attempt carving this panel for some time.

 

It's a panel which is held in the V&A, although I've only got an old photo in a book to work from. The original forms part of some wall panelling from a 1600 Exeter house. I think the house might have been demolished a long time ago, so we can be grateful that someone saved this part of it.

 

 

It's interesting to carve because the main part of the strapwork is lower than the border, to allow for the satyrs, monkeys, fruit and what-have-you, tangled up in it.

 

 

I wonder who lives here

 

It's a sign I tell you, a sign......

Hanging around.

 There's a lot of hanging going on today.

Carvings and paintings.

Early morning sun shining on my painting 'One Morning'. Bowls out next.

Then furniture.....

.....and spoons.

 

There will be demos of riving oak, carving, spooncarving, bowlmaking etc. Although not all at the same time!

 

Starts Saturday morning. Come and say hello.

Second log better

Sometimes you just have to work with what you have got. On this occasion I decided that the billets I got from the first log involved too much work. Luckily, I have a second log to work with.

It's got much straighter grain......always a bonus when you're looking for straight framing members!

It couldn't have split much better.

There's a small amount of transit damage, but if I get straight boards from the rest of the cake, I'm happy.

Split off the sapwood and a little side axe work, then it's off to the bench for planing.

Wedges in.

Two new logs arrived yesterday. 19" of heartwood, so not so wide, but should get the rails and stiles for the next cupboard, all being well.

Then it started to rain. Take shelter.

Watch the garden get wet and the log get used to the idea that it's going to split.

 Not a bad first split. Just need to chop through the few fibres that are still holding on.

It's worth pointing out, if you are going to try this for the first time; never put your fingers into the split until the two halves are completely severed. Wedges can pop out, and the two halves can snap shut.

Then into quarters.

Oh dear, what's this hiding inside.

No problem, 6 long billets and 2 short.

 

Here we go again.

Devon Open Studios

Opening my home workshop for Devon Open Studios 9-24th September. Come and say hello.

 

Recording pattern

It's all too easy to take photographs these days. However, it's not long ago that it wasn't so easy. In the not so distant, if I saw a carving pattern that I liked, I would sketch it out, and later maybe sit down with pencil, compass and paper. 

 

A lot of the patterns on seventeenth century furniture were laid out in a similar way, but directly on the oak, scratching with compasses instead of pencil. Centrelines, maybe crosslines, pacing out using compasses and then arcs from all those points. 

The sweep of curved gouges would then dictate a further part of the design. Then v-gouge or 'veiner', used freehand, might fill out the spaces betwixt and between.

Then 'grounding' the background, and stamps of various cunning pattern to highlight.

It is surmised by some, that apprentices, would, over the course of time, learn the patterns and become so used to their execution, that less laying out was necessary; they would produce the patterns by rote.

From my own experience, I think there must be some truth in this. Familiarity with a v-gouge certainly helps when knocking out s-scrolls and the like.

However, I must confess a weakness for measured drawing; fond memories of classes at school. It was probably the most useful thing I was taught there. I don't think technical drawing is even taught in school anymore.

Of course a rough sketch can also be useful when working out 'new' designs.