Buffalo Runs Him

Finished at last!  It’s taken quite a while to get this piece wrapped up but  now he’s done and ready to saddle up and head out to the nearest Buffalo herd to stock up for the coming winter.  

As I’ve done many times before, the earrings are made from hammered metal ducting, courtesy of my 7th grade Metal Class.  It’s really a shame that Metal and Wood classes have been dropped from schools curriculums.  Here I set in my mid-80’s, relying on things I learned in my teenage period.  A ball-peen hammer, repeatedly wacked on some thin metal gives the perfect texture.  I previously let things like earrings and feathers swing freely when added to a figure or detail but the possibility of breakage has been solved by gluing them down.  The carving is still down the road at the shop and I forgot to measure the piece but I think it’s around 14 to 16 inches with the walnut base.  An impressive size.  No knic-nac shelf for this warrior. 

So, with his completion it’s on to the next piece which is……another brother of the plains.  I completed the head  at last weeks carving meeting and I still haven’t decided on putting it on a bust or a full figure.  Either way it’s going to be fun as my carving mental block is crumbling and there’s sunshine on the horizon!!

As always, your comments are appreciated.  One of the last ones was “where can the color Red Iron Oxide be found”.  The best answer is to do a Google search.  You can still get it in a tube in it’s transparent form  or even powder if you wanted to mix your own.  Unfortunately, the little craft bottles have disappeared.  Sorry I can’t be of more help.