Brittany Spaniel woodcarving

[James Nugnes]

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As it is with most of my customers, this is a local client and pet. He is a Brittany Spaniel. I decided with the owner on this pose that is similar to how my own dog interacts with me.

Head slightly tilted, with a look of "what the heck is he on about now" in his eyes.

I often talk to my dog. My dog does have an extensive vocabulary of various barks and grunts and they all mean something different. That said, his first language is not English. I always talk to my dog in tones that tell him that it is all good. But he is often left standing there, head slightly tilted with this exact look of "what the heck is he on about now" in his eyes. He is happy for the attention. But I can tell he is wondering if there is something he should be doing in response.

Anyway hope you like the carving. The dog's coat is in classic Brittany colors.

[Mel Fulks]

He does seem to be deep in thought. Thanks for showing us. Like them all.

[John K Jordan]

Excellent! You captured the expression and stance nicely. Do you work from photos?

JKJ

[James Nugnes]

Thanks John. I always work from photos or a combination of photos and drawings that I am sometimes compelled to produce even if the actual subject is right there for me as a model. There is a certain skill to deriving a 3D piece from 2D media and I don't ever want to fail to utilize and thus enhance that particular skill. I could not get a photo of this subject in with the facial characteristics that I wanted and that the client agreed to. So I had to draw that up for this subject. But it was not that hard as I knew what I was looking to accomplish.

I got your pm and I will respond once I digest it. Briefly, you are right about the directed lighting. It seems to me that bathing the piece in light results in washing out in places. So you have to direct the light. In my case I might sometimes either err in that regard or just plain forget as I turn the piece and photograph.

The pieces I have shown here are all hand carved and I mainly work in basswood, grain vertical. I do carve in other woods as well. These pieces are all 6"-8" long, 4"-6" tall and 2.5"-3" wide. I still do some pieces in tupelo using micromotor and rotary shaft tools mainly so that I do not loose track of those rotary tool skills. Tupelo is such a lightweight wood that I just do not feel like I am providing the client with something of enough substance and with enough tactile feedback if he chooses to pick the piece up and run his hands over it. So I prefer hand carving in a heavier wood than tupelo.

There are certainly things easier done in tupelo using rotary tools and micromotors. The feathering at the back of the forelegs in this piece is much easier done using rotary power and a wood that takes to rotary power. I guess at the end of the day I like developing manual skills that allow me to work in heavier wood and for some pieces produce the kinds of results one might expect using rotary power. I can never get past the difference in the heft of a piece done in heavier wood than tupelo though as the difference is not insignificant.

Thanks again John. I will get back to your pm and respond to it.

[George Troy Hurlburt]

Nice looking project. I never could bring my self to sell my woodcarvings, just too much time and labor goes into it. I will sell all the woodturnings I can however.

[James Nugnes]

Thanks George!

Boy I hear you. The last year has been devoted to reducing the time it takes for each carving while not diminishing from the quality of the work. Moving the shop cost me about three months and I had to get my hands and forearms back in shape because I was not carving nearly as much through that period. I seldom use a mallet. Usually only using it in specific instances. I am sure you know you need to keep your fingers, hands, wrists, forearms all in pretty good shape and mine just fell apart the instant I went into reduced work load mode. "Fell apart" might be too strong. But you get used to your limbs working in a particular way and when they don't if you are impatient (as I am) it does not help. I simply was not honing with my usual dexterity either. So that was a double hit. Even my drawing skills which are not wonderful anyway, went a bit sideways on me for a little while and that REALLY burned my tail feathers.

[Jerry Olexa]

Excellent work....You caught the attitude of the dog...Well done

[James Nugnes]

Thanks Jerry....appreciate that.

Really just starting to feel like I am getting my chops back after moving the shop.

[James Nugnes]

Thanks to all the respondents. About to post up another. So wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you that responded to this one.