Wooden Man

Pub Monkeys

2012-01-06T15:07:00.000Z

Happy New Year and Cheers! everyone. I have just said goodbye to these pub monkeys. They are on their way to sit on a shelf in a private bar. About 10 inches high, they are carved out of walnut.

Strange Fruit

2011-11-19T10:15:00.001Z

Thanks to Billie Holiday for the title.

Three Hares

2011-11-19T10:01:00.001Z

WMDs

2011-11-15T17:11:00.001Z

I'm a bit worried about the authorities raiding my workshop now. If you fellows at Bletchley Park are reading my blog, please post a comment before knocking my doors down.

More Chatsworth

2011-10-19T14:23:00.001+01:00

Progressing with mouldings for Chatsworth House. I'd like to dedicate this post to Chris Pye, very generous in sharing his carving knowledge over the internet.

Waiting for a title

2011-08-12T12:23:00.000+01:00

No, I'm not waiting for a knighthood. During a break in 'carving for a living', I have just completed this.

Tree Growing

2011-08-07T17:51:00.000+01:00

My bench at the moment

Making use of an offcut

2011-07-30T13:54:00.000+01:00

Finish this...

.

Start this..

Organ pipe shade continues...

2011-07-23T13:33:00.000+01:00

Fretting

2011-07-16T10:48:00.000+01:00

Fretting on a Saturday morning.

Preparing for carving for an organ for Martin Goetze & Dominic Gwynn

Barefoot Carving

2011-07-05T14:56:00.000+01:00

Not to be recommended by the Health and Safetyconscious, but it's hot today and I need to be comfortable. I've been carving since 1984, and if you count them, there are still 10. Touch wood!

Busy

2011-05-27T10:55:00.000+01:00

Like buses, lots of oak carving has come along recently. In this picture, gate finials, coat of arms shield and components for an organ (ongoing). Oak isn't just oak. Even within 'European' or 'English' oak there is a variety in the ease of carving. Within this batch, some of it was very hard but amenable to carving detail, other oak was soft or 'mild' but with a crazy grain structure. Some was ordinary.
I hate, and try not to carve American Oak except for lettering. I suppose I might be an Oak Racist.

Tray Bien!

2011-03-28T12:21:00.000+01:00

Recently completed is this commission for this tray to celebrate an 80th birthday. It incorporates symbols relating to members of the extended family. Quite a challenge to fit them all into a small space. The symbols include a rugby ball and the atomic symbol, St Istvan's crown, a teapot, a postage stamp and a guitar and amp.

What's Nick up to????

2011-01-28T16:46:00.003Z

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

(a project I keep being distracted from by carving work that pays)

Extras

2011-01-27T13:17:00.000Z

Strawberry Hill extras, shortsighted

More moulding for Chatsworth House

Autumn

2010-10-07T14:50:00.001+01:00

It's that menopausal season, - when the clothes you choose are too warm or too cool. Strawberry Hill House is now open to the public and the carving work is done. Now it's back to 'normal' and it feels quiet and Autumnal.
Carving names of soldiers seems appropriate.

Genetically Modified Woodcarver

2010-08-07T11:48:00.000+01:00

If anyone ever designs a Genetically Modified Woodcarver, a very useful quality would be the type of ears that can grip a pencil. Sadly, although my ears work quite well in most respects, my parents didn't hand down this trait to me and pencils won't stay behind my ears. Individual pencils 'disappear' in my workshop. I suspect it's the urge to procreate that draws these single pencils away to the pencil mating grounds. My only solution is to leave LOTS of pencils ALL OVER the workshop, in the hope that there will always be one within reach.
I'd welcome any better suggestions.

Use your Imagination!

2010-08-07T11:19:00.000+01:00

Somehow this..

...has to eventually look something like this.

Sorry Customers

2010-07-07T14:50:00.000+01:00

Sorry customers. I work hard for you, but this just arrived and is crying out for my attention this afternoon!

Strawberry leaves

2010-06-15T09:30:00.000+01:00

Nearing the end of this stage of carving for Strawberry Hill House.

BBC more cuts?

2010-05-12T13:54:00.001+01:00

Again, not a carving pic but it looks like the glue is going again at the BBC. (See others, click BBC cuts)

Small caps

2010-04-02T13:36:00.001+01:00

More carving for Strawberry Hill House

On and on

2010-03-25T14:40:00.000Z

Inching along with oak mouldings for Chatsworth House. Finished soon. My back is holding out, partly thanks to a physiotherapist's exercises which, if you walked into my workshop without warning, would resemble the strange contortions of a Morris Dancer! Please knock first!

Sore hands and a tip of the day

2010-02-26T17:07:00.002Z

The Chatsworth mouldings are progressing well, my back is holding up, with rests. Thankyou for encouraging comments, on this blog and in real life.

There are around 614 divisions altogether, each with a stem, leaf and curved flute. Now that I am nearly done, I feel OK to count them. It would have been too daunting to count them at the beginning. Callouses and sore hands from repetetive daily carving but musn't grumble!

Here's a carving tip that an old carver passed on to me. It has been useful doing this job.

When stabbing repeatedly into oak (especially doing mouldings like these), occasionally dip the tip of the gouge into tallow (from a plumber's supplier). It eases into the hard timber more easily and also seems to keep the edge sharp for longer. Don't use too much tallow or it will soak into the wood and stain.

Optimism

2010-01-25T12:46:00.001Z

After weeks of not being able to work, due to my back, I am now 'back' to work, carving mouldings in oak for Chatsworth House. It's going to be a long, exacting job and I expect my back and stamina to be tested. As a sign of optimism I have bought some nice fishtail gouges to match the curves of the repeat pattern on the mouldings. Touch wood.....

Food hampers and words of encouragement very welcome!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-23T10:40:00.000Z

Best wishes to all my tens of readers!

Not Carving

2009-12-23T10:30:00.003Z

I'd quite like it if a couple of people were inspired to carve or make things after looking at this blog, but be warned, potential carvers.... your body will need looking after if you are going to do it full-time. I am not in the workshop, and unable to carve at the moment due to a bad back. I can look out of my window though.

Wood Magnet

2009-11-20T16:46:00.004Z

A really handy and quick way to clear up the wood shavings from the workshop floor.

Hand Carving

2009-11-13T15:53:00.002Z

A carved monk has lost his hands and as soon as these are fixed onto the ends of his arms, he can do all those things monks need to do.

Strawberry Fields Forever

2009-10-23T12:42:00.002+01:00

Just finished the carving repairs for Strawberry Hill House library. Phew!

4 corners

2009-10-15T20:25:00.002+01:00

Well, not literally, corners...

A corner of the workshop

2009-10-14T19:41:00.002+01:00

Thought I might post pictures of usually ignored parts of the workshop. If someone else did this in their workshop, I would be interested, so perhaps someone out there might be.

Paper thin

2009-10-14T19:34:00.003+01:00

Sign

2009-10-08T19:29:00.002+01:00

Nothing to do with carving, but I saw this today in the window of a hairdresser in Sheffield...

Strawberry Hill House progress

2009-10-06T22:09:00.004+01:00

Early stages of carving pine with original as guide

Finished crestings

Strawberry Hill House

2009-09-25T19:46:00.007+01:00

I'm going to be kept busy for a while with carving restoration for Strawberry Hill House. Lots to do.

Part of the library at Strawberry Hill House.
When self employment gets difficult, I sometimes wish I worked in a library or something. We need to be careful what we wish for.

Happy Birthday, Dave

2009-09-25T19:33:00.006+01:00

This was a surprise birthday present commission I have been working on. I am now able to show it. The violin is carved in low relief and then painted over with thousands of squares. The violin shape disappears depending on the viewers position and the light.

Detail from front

Square after square after square.....

....actually I find it quite therapeutic.

Ants

2009-08-12T18:09:00.004+01:00

Today I was carving ants for a signpost for an ant trail at Longshaw Estate

Another Rose

2009-07-24T20:35:00.004+01:00

My very first post on this blog was about a Yorkshire rose

http://partiallyexcited.blogspot.com/search/label/yorkshire%20rose

Here's another another, much bigger one...

Clay modelling

2009-07-15T19:26:00.001+01:00

I felt like I was being watched today. Creepy.

Sharp Practice

2009-05-19T22:01:00.003+01:00

Darling?? buds of May. Fifty done, twenty four to go....

You can hear when the tools are sharp

A Woodcarver's Entertainment

2009-05-09T19:59:00.007+01:00

Well, after the offcuts got excited, these two tiny horses had a lover's tiff and one of them vibrated off, deciding to end it all. The remaining one didn't really care.

Small things...

2009-05-06T17:19:00.003+01:00

...amuse. While I was cutting out some fretwork, this little offcut decided I needed entertaining today.

Spring

2009-03-25T16:29:00.003Z

Spring came into the workshop today...

Woodpeckers

2009-03-17T18:27:00.004Z

3 woodpecker doorknockers in progress.....

Advanced notice for Sheffield Open Up 2009. I will be open 25th, 26th April as well as 2nd, 3rd and 4th May. If these doorknockers aren't snapped up before then, they will be available for £160 each. See website

Not a plate

2009-03-04T13:02:00.003Z

Going mad trying not to go mad. Work in progress. This is not a plate. It is carved out of wood, gessoed, and now being painted. It's taking a long time!

Gilding the Lily

2009-02-24T19:09:00.001Z

Work in progress

Moth to a candle

2009-01-14T16:14:00.002Z

After a busy 2008 doing quite a bit of carving to order, early 2009 finds me working on my own uncommissioned designs which are available to buy. In this case, the moth and candlestick is carved out of one piece of oak, (except for some short lengths of used guitar string). The flame is water gilded and burnished. Larger picture can be seen at http://www.nickhunter.co.uk/MOTH%20TO%20A%20CANDLE.html

Gesso, and a lesson

2009-01-09T19:49:00.004Z

Sanding gesso on my current project. It's icy outside. I thought this, close up, could be for skating on.

Lesson: It can be a powerful thing, making something, and if it is made with great care and love, the object seems to carry within it, more than what it is simply made of. I've always felt that, and giving things I've made to others is a way of expressing myself to them. Today I heard that one such object was deliberately damaged, and that is equally powerful. But I'll make more.

Dull December Optimism

2008-12-16T19:21:00.003Z

Only 5 more days and the days start getting longer again!
Can't wait for April.

Friends

2008-11-22T17:19:00.000Z

Product placement

2008-11-21T11:04:00.001Z

Pedicure

2008-11-20T14:15:00.001Z

Carving the talons of one of a pair of owls to sit on the bedposts of the bed already mentioned.

Scratching

2008-11-18T20:03:00.004Z

Using a scratchstock on a bedpost. Someone will soon be sleeping soundly in this bed.

Scale Drawing

2008-09-30T19:58:00.003+01:00

Practising Scales

2008-09-30T19:51:00.001+01:00

Two puns for the price of one today!

Slough

2008-09-29T21:03:00.002+01:00

The beginnings of a snake for Chatsworth House

BBC Entertainment

2008-09-19T18:09:00.001+01:00

The BBC is keeping me entertained. A real cliff hanger, this one. To follow the story, click BBC cuts link4

A thousand visits

2008-09-14T10:39:00.005+01:00

I used to live not far from the Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu Natal. Now I live in Sheffield and do a Blog of a Thousand Visits.

According to my hit counter, this blog has now been visited 1,000 times. Who are you?

500 of those visits are probably me checking to see how many visits I've had. But how about some comments? You don't have to register and you can remain anonymous.

BBC budget problems again?

2008-09-14T10:25:00.002+01:00

This little observation is beginning to become a story. This is the latest picture of what might become a BBC series. (See other bbc links to the right)

Groundhog Day, - again!

2008-09-12T18:34:00.005+01:00

This is pretty much the view I've had every day, four times a day, for the past month or so. I'm carving a lot of linenfold panels whose eventual home is the UK Supreme Court Library.
I've now declared myself 'gone mad', - so mad that I've even allowed the word 'mad' to slip past the Political Corrector. No doubt this blog is seen by millions worldwide, and is bound to have an influence, so I apologise to all fellow mad people.

Oak flowers

2008-08-12T21:37:00.000+01:00

Ongoing for the UK Supreme Court

Workshop distraction

2008-08-12T21:31:00.003+01:00

Don't ask!

Top secret

2008-07-06T11:31:00.003+01:00

I'm busy with an interesting, challenging project with some young and enthusiastic Sheffield designers (TADO) . The identity in this picture has been disguised to protect innocent carvings.

Blacksmith

2008-05-26T21:30:00.003+01:00

I am probably the most sensitive-to-noise person in the world but somehow, the sound of honest work isn't nearly as bad as, for example, someone listening to Radio 2 in the next room. This power hammer gets busy right underneath my workshop. Just as dirt is just misplaced soil, noise is misplaced or inconsiderate sound.
It's not the 'size' that matters. A tiny but persistent repeated electronic beep will stop me working, but this thundering I can tolerate. (As long as it doesn't go on for days).

Busy, busy, busy

2008-05-20T22:55:00.003+01:00

Sorry I haven't written for a while. Still busy with these for Chatsworth House.

A bit thought-less

2008-04-11T18:21:00.004+01:00

I know this is meant to be images and thoughts but lately I've been too busy to think.

High Visibility Thoughts

2008-03-16T14:44:00.003Z

Occasionally I slip and cut myself while carving. It's usually a clean cut and I heal quickly but today I was thinking about Health and Safety. I wonder, with all the high visibility clothing being worn, will it be safer one day to wear drab clothing, - in order to be seen?

Reliant

2008-03-05T17:42:00.003Z

After many failures or 'deferred successes' as we are meant to call them nowadays, I have just made my first unaided successful gesso.
This...

...becomes this

Carving a small rose

2008-02-20T19:27:00.001Z

Dots

2008-02-05T16:50:00.000Z

I'm having a show next month and have just put the final dot onto a painted carving that I intend to show. I'm not showing the whole image here just in case I don't like it in a few days' time. I've put days of detailed concentration into it, and just that fact alone could make me reluctant to reject it. By the time the show comes (20th March), I should have an idea if I'm happy with it. It will be called 'Witness'.

Oak Crunchy

2008-01-28T20:14:00.001Z

Just a snap of progress of the Arthouse job on my bench today. I thought it was nice the way the bits of oak combined with the carved leaves.

International Heart Surgeon

2008-01-26T17:28:00.000Z

International? This was commissioned over the internet by someone in America

The patient is doing fine.

Not carving but...

2008-01-26T17:21:00.000Z

I pass this building on my way to the workshop. I got that last pic just in time as the last 'B' disappeared about 3 days later. I often miss photo opportunities thinking I can always come back another day. Lesson learned this time. And 'DO IT NOW' is a good lesson for Life too, which I'll put into practice, - one day.

Woodworm Training

2008-01-11T16:55:00.000Z

Carving is hard work. I've started to train woodworms to do the carving for me. They are quite efficient and even grateful for the free food but it is too early in my experiment to tell how smart they are in 3D imagery. I've already noticed that a couple of them may have learning difficulties.

Work in progress

2008-01-09T15:48:00.001Z

A project for Arthouse, in progress...

Removing dust VIDEO

2008-01-05T15:20:00.000Z

After sanding, revealing the incised letters by vacuuming is a small satisfaction after a long period of concentration.

Hand-carved

2008-01-04T18:58:00.001Z

Learn while u work VIDEO

2008-01-02T17:08:00.000Z

Listening to Patrick Costello's banjo lesson while I work

Last day of 2007

2007-12-31T19:21:00.000Z

Well, I've just received my final vote of confidence, so if this blog becomes boring, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU MADE ME DO IT!

Tomorrow, I almost finished carving an arm and a hand last year. Today, I will post the image next year.

Here's one I made earlier in 2007...

BBC Cuts

2007-12-28T15:49:00.000Z

Poor BBC! Those budget cuts are hitting them hard.

Cutting Wood

2007-12-22T17:26:00.000Z

My new project today required me to remove a LOT of wood by hand, and fortunately the wood was Quebec Yellow Pine and my gouges are sharp. At the end of the day I had almost filled a black rubbish bag with shavings, or should they be called 'cuttings'?

When I was a child, I used to enjoy sharpening pencils and smelling the cedar. Today I spent 7 hours removing wood and can recommend it as a therapy.

VIDEO
After many years of carving for a living, I still find this simple act fascinating.

Bugs

2007-12-20T15:38:00.000Z

This week has been a week of bugs. I've been asked to carve insects and bugs onto eight oak posts for a school playground. I've assumed that 'bugs' is a sub species of 'insects'. Green oak (unseasoned) is lovely to carve, softer than seasoned oak, which is just as well because I have to fit 32 images into a tight budget.

Sometimes

2007-12-14T22:31:00.001Z

Sometimes other people offer me ideas.....

Thanks Chris!

Where do you get your ideas from?

2007-12-14T20:06:00.000Z

Light At The End of the Tunnel

I'm never sure what that question means. Maybe because I find it hard to imagine that there are people who don't have any ideas.
If I'm asked, I say something like this: All my ideas are 'there' (pointing at a vague area above and around my and the questioner's head). Everyone's ideas are there waiting to be grabbed. Just there, somewhere, I don't know. You just have to be on the alert and be ready to receive them. I trust that there are an infinite number of ideas 'out there' for us to use. Not all of them are good , by the way. A lot of ideas are rubbish and need to be filtered. Often a good idea will be piggy backed onto a queue of not so good ideas.

Maybe the default setting for my brain is SCAN ON. It may explain why I may seem distracted sometimes and also why the world often seems 'too much' for me. Perhaps, too, why I love sleep. I don't try to have ideas in my sleep, but quite often if I know I have a tricky project coming up, I will be presented with a solution on waking. If you're not alert, you'll miss it.

Sometimes I will get a title first, then make or carve an idea to fit the title. Often the title comes from overhearing (mistakenly) something in a conversation, or on the radio.

I suppose ideas are a bit like ghosts. They are there if you believe in them.

2007-12-14T19:44:00.000Z

Carved this Yorkshire Rose today. No, not today. I just made that part up because I don't have any pictures of what I was doing today.