To me, while carving the figure is fun, the enjoyment really begins in coming up with new ways to present the piece. With Buckeye, I mounted him as I did once before with a Native American carving. Doing it this way lets the carving “float” above the base, immediately drawing the viewers interest to something new. And, believe me, one of the most important things to consider when displaying your work is to always look for new ways to separate that work from all the others.
“Buckeye” is attached to his base by a couple of wooden dowels, using some epoxy gel. I like the gel over the other as it doesn’t run. I originally found it a Lowes or Home Depot but neither carries it now so I just order it from Amazon as they seem to have everything anymore. The base is made from Red Oak, stained with a dark walnut color. Hardwoods like Oak or Walnut always give the best result when using stains as the color is absorbed evenly. Softwoods such as pine or basswood won’t allow this unless they are pre-treated, but even with that extra step the the stain is always lighter. Just my opinion.
Anyway, I hope you like him. Comments always welcomed as are new subscribers! If you haven’t done that yet just fill out the little form on the right and you’ll receive a notice when new Blog entries are posted. Thanks
A
