Here was the tree in early July of 2017.
The tree had just been topped to remove the upper branches, and about this time I began to see “BEARS”!!!!!
So anyway the Summer, Fall and now Winter rolled on, until now January 1st 2018 has arrived, and here is where the tree is today:
I am still working on it on days that the temperature is in the 20’s with low wind speed, but I don’t expect to make much progress until April.
Meanwhile—
Happy New Years Everyone,
Hi Folks,
Officially winter is still a month away, but my internal “Shiver Clock” says it’s time to wrap up the carving until spring. The carving is pretty well on track up as far as the “rough-in” is concerned, at least on three sides of the tree. Here is where “The Bears” are at this point in time:
Annette, my neighbor from across the street, stopped over the other day to check on my progress and told me that I should published a picture to give you readers an idea of the actual scale of this carving. Along with giving you an idea of size, this photo will also show you what a good looking fellow that I am:
This will be the final newsletter concerning “The Bears” until spring, however, I have a couple of ideas for new polymer clay sculptures that I will be exploring in the next few months, so stay tuned.
Happy Holidays to You All,
I’ve been beating this tree to death for over 3 months now, and as of today, here’s what I’ve accomplished so far: (Check out the previous Newsletters)
The standing bear’s head is still too large, but it is still completely in solid wood. The major consideration that I have had to take into account on this carving has been that the tree has a rotten center. This condition has changed the design of the carving several time, but at this point, the design is pretty well “Locked-In”
This is the inside of the tree just above the sitting cub’s ears. I suspect it was caused by “Carpenter Ants” and that somewhere inside this tree the nest is still active. (I haven’t seen any ants.)
The weather is beginning to change, but I would still like to complete the “roughing-in” of at least the “Standing Bear” before winter puts an end to the carving for the year.
We’ll see how it goes,
Hi Folks,
We have a couple of rainy days coming this weekend so I thought I’d publish a bit early this week.
The rough-in on the carving is nearly done, at least to the point that if I’ve made a major mistake on the positioning of the three bears, it’s going to appear in the final carving.
The next newsletter will probably be published in early November, but if you and your kids will be in the area “Trick or Treating” on Saturday, you’re welcome to come into the yard and take a closer look.
Don’t feed the Bears any candy,
I’ve been busy on other things for the last few days. Check out my Walker’s Walk-Abouts Newsletter, however there is still a bit of a change in “The Bears”.
I’ve started to move around the tree and define the standing bear a bit more. Check out the black magic marker lines to get a better idea of the bear’s dimensions.
We had our first frost here in Loudonville last night which tells me that winter is closing in. I suspect that I will still have a good month of carving left this year, but after that “The Bears” and I will probably go into hibernation until spring.
I’ve got a couple of ideas for polymer clay sculptures that should keep be busy during the winter months.
Hi Folks,
Since I last published, I’ve removed a bunch of wood, but haven’t advanced the carving in any significant way.
I’ve been working on the “Standing Bear”, but right now it looks more like a bear wearing a football helmet. The head needs to move to the left and down slightly. The (Maybe) problem is that I’m getting close to the hollow inner core.
This next week will tell!!!!
Maybe a step forward—-Maybe a lot of firewood,
I got my chainsaw back up and running, thanks to Dale at Chain Saws Direct (If you need any type of “Power Yard Equipment give them a shout at Chain Saws Direct , Great Folks to deal with.)
Here’s where we are today with the carving:
And someday when you walk from the back of the house to the front:
You’ll see a finished version of this.
If you plan to visit the Loudonville Street Fair, stop by the Stonewall Gallery for a closer look at the “Bear Tree”,
My chainsaw went belly-up, so I’ve been removing wood with a gouge and a hammer. Having said that, here is where I am today.
The head of Bear #2 is roughed in, but still a long way to go.
Incidentally, there are beginning to be several Folks stopping by to get a better look at the carving. If you are in the neighborhood feel free to stop by.
Hopefully I’ll have the chainsaw back in service next week,
I began to add a bit of detail this week, mainly so I could get a better perspective of where I’m going.
If you click on the picture it will enlarge it. September 10 2017
Taking these pictures so that you can follow the progress, also helps me see the sculpture a bit better. For example, looking directly into the face of the bear makes it look a bit “Whopper-jawed”. If you look closely you’ll find the jaw is symmetrical. The nose is carved out of sap-wood except little bit that appears distorted.
The standing bear will be about 10 inches higher 10 inches taller and it’s legs will extend down into the trunk area in the final sculpture. This will change the tree trunk into rocks so that the other two cubs have something to set on.
The next newsletter will be published next weekend,
I’ve been chain-sawing or a third week, and although the chainsaw moves fast, my brain doesn’t. I need to keep in mind that once I cut it off, it ain’t going to grow back. So, with that in mind, along with the knowledge that the tree is hollow, and will require a redesign of the overall sculpture, here is the new plan.
This is a side view
These are both cubs, and the “Mama Bear” is no longer there. Depending on how the hollow spot in the center of the tree works out, there may be a third cub, but we’ll need to see about that.
Here is where I am right now. September 2, 2017. If I do get to bring in a third cub, the nose will be just above and to the left of the setting cub.
Check out that pile of sawdust,
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