Another Newbie Here!

[Ashmagalf1]

Hello to everyone,

I have joined the site within the past few days and only now found the time to sit down and write a little note and say Hello. My name is Richard Brown and I live in Independence, MO., (Harry Truman's hometown.) I have done 6 carvings to date. The first being a Rainbow Trout and the remainder all birds of one kind or another. You may have already seen some of them as I have posted them on the Carver's GalleryHappy .

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...00&ppuser=3186


I have had an interest in wood carving for many many years now but, only lately have I taken the time to carve. I first acted on my wood carving interest back in 1976 when... while in Branson, MO (Silver Dollar City), I bought a basswood blank of a full size wood duck, a mallet, a roll-up set of carving gouges, a carving knife and the fearful wood carving instruction booklet. I must have looked at that book hundreds of times and not once found the courage to line up a gouge and strike with that mallet.Hammer I moved that silly block of wood to 3 different homes as life carried me along. Now 29 years later I can finally say that, the wood duck is carved and I am going to start the painting process within the next day or two. That has to be some type of record I would think... 29 years on one project!

I will not bore you all with any more details at this time. Just wanted to introduce myself and say that I have truly enjoyed viewing all the webpages and sites that I have stumbled across on here already. What a wonderfully talanted group of people you all are. Thanks for having me as a member and God Bless you all.Wink

Richard

((Ashmagalf1) = Ash for Ashley, Mag for Maggie and Alf for Alfie +1)
Three faithful and loving dogs that brought great joy to my life.

[Bandaid]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

Hi Richard, welcome aboard. Great looking carvings, will look forward to seeing your Wood Duck when it's done.

[Chahlie]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

Howdy Richard,

Welcome to our little corner of the web. This is a fantastic site, I am somewhat of a newbee here myself. I am constantly amazed by the talented people here, and their willingness to share with those less experienced. 29 years to complete your first carving....hmmm sounds about right...LOL! Life has a way of making it difficult to find time for all the things we want to do, need to do and "have" to do. So now that carving #1 is carved onward and upward! By the way if you can post a pic of the carving before and after painting for copmparison. Like I should talk, I have to post some pics of my work really soon before they disappear to their new homes.

Well again, welcome to our little community!

Chahlie

[Whittler5858]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

WOW, Did you say 1976 at Silver Dollar City? Well, I was a Carver there from 75 through 79. At that time I did a ton of 2' & 3' Cigar Store Indians. Gosh, I wonder how many of thoes things I did at that time. I did not think too much of them so I don't have any pictures of them. There are a cuple of pictures on my web site of work done at that time. I am sure you remember me, I was the goffie one who did "NOT" chew Tabaco."Yackkkkkk". Down stairs in the carving area I had to be careful where I walked there were big piles of wood chips everywhere. The "Chewres" would use thoes piles as a target. Well,I need say no more. Glad to see you are making time to carve. Carving is good for the health you know.

[squbrigg]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

Welcome aboard Richard. Great bunch of folks here who all love to talk carving. Glad to see you join us.

Bob

[Donna_T]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

Welcome Richard,
Gosh, we're practically neighbors and I'm in the KC area regularly. I love your carvings--thanks so much for sharing them with us. One of the nice things about carving is that you can put it aside and come back whenever the time allows or mood strikes. I'm planning to attend a 3-day workshop at Silver Dollar City in a couple of weeks. Have you ever attended any of the City's carving workshops--or visited them?

There's lots of great carvers in the KC area. Do you ever go to the Knot Hole at Pleasant Hill or catch the Wood Carving show at John Knox Village in late March?

Glad you joined our message board. It fun and educational to read past postings when you have time--so much good info here.

Donna T

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

You have only done 6 carvings in your life? Then sir, you are an undiscovered master! I think you are an outstanding artist and hard to believe you have only done 6 ! (29 years...? yep that is a record..my great blue heron sat for 3 years before I could get up the gumption and know which direction I wanted to go with it! I think sometimes we just get a mindset/block or something?)

[Ashmagalf1]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

Wow, you are all just to kind. Thank you all for the comments and vote of confidence. I am still in awe of some of the carvings I have found while surfing around the links to websites I have found on here. You are all truly amazing artists.

In answer to a few questions posted here on this thread:

You are way to kind in calling me an undiscovered master. I have always been interested in art of one type or another. I actually won some awards while in high school for some pen and ink drawings that I had done. I worked for a short time as the head artist of a silk screen company right after high school. The business moved and at the time I didn't want to move. I also worked as a custom photo printer for a company that went bankrupt. I then had the fortune or misfortune, whatever the case may be, to land a job in the auto industry. The pay and benefits have kept me there for the past 28 years. I will be able to retire within the next 3 to 5 years hopefully.

I do know about the wood carving show and competition at John Knox Village. I am a member of the Kansas City Wood Carving Club and have been for just over a year now. I have not been able to be a very active member as far as attending the monthly meetings because of personal reasons. I did enter the competition last year and won a couple of ribbons, to my suprise and joy. It was fun and I am trying to decide if I will display my carvings and compete this year. I am not sure that I have enough carvings to make a god display. The verdict is still out on that but I better make up my mind soon and the show is coming in March.

I loved to visit the Silver Dollar City Carvers gallery whenever I was in Branson. They had some very beautiful work from some brilliantly talanted people back when I bought that wood duck blank. I do not remember the spit in the shavings but then again, I could hardly take my eyes off the carvings. I could spend hours in there.

Thanks again for the very warm welcome. I feel very much at home here.

God Bless, RichardRed Face

[Nancy-G]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

Richard -- I'm just across the state from you, near St. Louis... husband's family lives in KC, but we're not close in ability !! Those birds are fantastic.
It's great to have you with us. God bless.
Nancy

[Whittler5858]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

I loved to visit the Silver Dollar City Carvers gallery whenever I was in Branson. They had some very beautiful work from some brilliantly talanted people back when I bought that wood duck blank. I do not remember the spit in the shavings but then again, I could hardly take my eyes off the carvings. I could spend hours in there.

Thanks again for the very warm welcome. I feel very much at home here.

God Bless, RichardRed Face

The chips I was refering to were behind the work benches. Hard to see from where you would have been standing. Beleve it, they were there & they were "NASTY"

[Callynne]

Re: Another Newbie Here!

Welcome Richard, what terrific work you do! I really love the quail, we used to have them in this area, I miss hearing them. Thanks for sharing, we're very happy to have you with us! Callynne