What has been keeping me busy!

[Jeff Nicol]

Good morning all, This is what I have been working on for the last couple weeks and it has been a true labor of love for a good cause. It will be auctioned off to help people with special needs, brain injuries, handicaps of all sorts thhat have desires to be around horses or ride them. It is called "Walk On" horses and the group that contacted me to do the horse is River Valley Riders out of Bayport MN. One of the board members is one of my best customers for my turnings so she thought I would do a great job, I hope I did! So anyway here are a couple of pictures of the completed statue with a turned American Elm base. We may change the base to one that they had made in the "Flat" but I think the round one adds some grace to the whole thing. The base is now sprayed with gloss lacquer and looks real good. Now on to a bunch of small turnings out of an old barn beam of Red Elm that came out of a friends Great Grandfathers barn. I am making a plethora of small to larger bowls, vessels and miniatures so that all the family will have a piece to remember the Patriarc of the family. I will post the group of turnings when I get them done. The barn is still standing and this beam was replaced with a new one as it had dry rotted and was in danger of collapsing the whole place.

Any way here is the Charity Auction Horse and base.

Thanks,

Jef

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jeff - your talent surprises me! (and I mean that is a good way!) Excellent craftsmanship! I am sure it will do quite well at the auction! Very nice work - seriously - VERY nice!

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Jeff3, you just have too much talent for one man. Great looking horse carving.
Still enjoying my steady-rest ala Jeff Nichol. Max

[Robert McGowen]

You are a man of many talents, Jeff! Very well done and for a good cause also.

[John Keeton]

Jeff, I have always thought that getting the head right on a horse - whether in a painting or sculpture, is the key to a successful piece. You nailed this one!! Simply a fantastic job, and I don't even want to think of the hours you have in this one!

[Baxter Smith]

Now that takes talent! The carving that is! Great looking horse!

[Aaron Wingert]

Way cool Jeff...Always good to do work for a good cause as well!

[Bill Wilcox]

At first when I looked at the horse, I thought, " Jeff has gone into the bronze casting realm." I like this very much /jeff. You done did yosef PROUD!!!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Jeff I am just amazed at your talent and that beautiful piece. You should be very proud.

[Roger Chandler]

Boy, that kind of art is WAY over my head! You know some people just have talent that oozes out of their pores! :D

Congrats Jeff, fine work for a fine cause!

[Tim Rinehart]

Jeff, that's just cool.
What I think is superb about that piece, besides the fine job of carving, is getting the grain orientation to be "spot on" for the flow of the horse's coat.

2 thumbs up dude!! That's great work.

[John Hart]

Very impressive Jeff. I don't like horses....but this one doesn't do all the things that I don't like about horses....so I like this horse. ;) And you did an exceptional job. Very cool that it is for charity.:)

[Ray Bell]

Jeff, you are a true renaissance man of many talents. This is a wonderful carving for a wonderful cause.

[Tony De Masi]

Holy Cow!!!!!! I mean Horse. That is just a beautiful piece Jeff. I hope it raises thousands for those in need.

Tony

[Mike Svoma]

Absolutely beautiful, Jeff. It really turned out great. You have put a lot of effort into this piece since I last stopped down. Can you post a before picture so everyone can see what it looked like before the wood was applied?

Great job, my friend.

[Mike Svoma]

Boy, that kind of art is WAY over my head! You know some people just have talent that oozes out of their pores! :D

Congrats Jeff, fine work for a fine cause!

Jeff is one of those "oozee" type guys, for sure.

[Michael James]

Jeff,
Super awesome carve job there... is your talent w/out limits??? And thanks for taking care of my peeps in your zip. Big talent, big heart.:)
mj

[bob svoboda]

Jeff. Super job for a great cause.

[Jeff Nicol]

I am not sure where all the UM...AH...Talent or should I say luck came from but I have always loved to carve and create and turn wood into beautiful things. I used to do a lot of drawing and painting in my youth, even dabbled in drawing cartoons once in a while. But the lathe is now my favorite mistress and calls to me most often! I have a bunch of bowls and vessels that are ready for me to start carving on, but I keep getting into other things that keep me from them.

Thanks again for all the kind words,

Jeff

[tom martin]

Beautiful work Jeff! I can't imagine the amount of time it took. Great job for a great cause. Can't wait to see the elm bowls!
Tom

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Wow. I am amazed at the details in the carving and the work. That just blows me away. I have no such skills, but I have an appreciation for them so at least that is something. ;)

Joshua

[Jack Mincey]

A wonderful piece of work and letting it go to such a deserving cause makes it even more special.
Jack

[Matt Ranum]

Jeff, all I can say is you are truly blessed.

[Tom Sherman]

I agree that you are truly blessed Jeff, and that work of art will bless those in need after the auction. Great job dude.

[James Roberts]

Jeez, Jeff, is there anything that you don't do? You have a great eye for detail and you just pure nailed the essence of a horse in this one. Wonderful auction piece for a wonderful charity.

[David E Keller]

I opened this thread expecting to see you buried in steady rests... WOW, was I wrong! What a wonderful carving! Good on you for donating this beauty.

[George Guadiane]

Excellent work by a good man for a great cause... WOW!

[William Hutchinson]

Your multi-talents are amazing, very well done. Speaking of your other talents, I got the steady rest yesterday and it's one beauty that was worth the wait. Thanks.