Led around by the nose

This my latest cane made from a limb that someone gave me a few years ago, so I'm not sure what kind of wood it is (maybe mimosa). This Druid has very long hair that serves as the handle and a Cyrano de Bergerac schnoz.

Wood wabbit

My latest cane made from a holly tree branch. The finish is clear lacquer and wax.

The chips are down... almost

Another bowl made from maple wood. It's a work in progress, I hope to finish in the next few days.

Snake in the grasp

A close-up of detail on the curly willow walking stick. Click on photo to enlarge it.

Snaaaaaake!!!!

This snake walking stick (Allen is the snake handler) is made from curly willow. It's well over five feet long. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Sunny and mild

Ornament ready for casting (nice face)

New moon

Moon ornament ready for the next phase of production

Star gaze

Star ornament original ready for casting

Casting grouch

Sun ornament ready for casting

Elves

The holiday season is coming on so you'll be seeing a lot of ornaments posted this month and next.

If this old chair could talk

There's nothing really special about this old rocking chair except that it's been in my family for generations. My parents, grandparents and great-grandparents have rocked in it, as have my own daughters and grandchildren. It now sits in the Folly, where I probably spend more time in it than anyone else these days -- carving, talking or dozing off -- but I always offer it to whoever comes by to visit.

Live at the Folly

This is our friend Bob Tobin, singer/songwriter from Charleston, S.C. Bob's working on a new album and we're designing the cover for the album (or do you say CD?). He was here for a few days last week to get his picture taken and give our friends and neighbors a preview of some of his latest songs. We'll let you know more about the album when it's finished!

You say "puh-cahn", I say "pee-can"

This is a small serving bowl made from pecan wood. It only took about four hours from start to finish, not bad. The finish is just canola oil.

Trees Company

A few years ago, our son Allen decided he wanted to build a tree house with a couple of pulley systems for the conveyance of snacks.  Of course, once it was built, he moved on to other things, like getting his driver's license and hanging out with friends. But now that he's in college, we've rediscovered it as a lovely retreat for an afternoon glass of wine. Last year, I built my Folly next to it, so now Allen and I both have Follies in the garden!

The pollen count was great today

The honeybees in the garden did really well considering I got them very late in the season.

Cane rattler or a pain in the asp

Just about finished with this cane, made of maple (see below). I'm still adding scales (one-by-one) and will add a lacquer finish.

Raising cane

I started working with this piece of maple wood about two weeks ago. It's going to be a cane.

Gandalf the finished

Tolkien of my appreciation

This is a "Gandalf" walking stick I'm making for one of my grandsons. I'm carving it from pecan wood. I still have a lot work to do, but I should have it finished in a few days. 

Just another phase

Another example of a moon ornament from the "Sun, Moon & Star" series

Hobbit hobby

This elf ornament is one in a series I made for my grand-kids

An old post from an old post

I posted this carving awhile back (Henry with Druid) from a picture I took shortly after it was finished and placed in the garden. Here it is a few months later showing a little age. 

Raspberry moon

Another ornament with an attitude.

Two for tea

Both of these walking sticks are made from sassafras wood. Mother nature did most of the work here -- honeysuckle vines wrapped themselves around the young trees, giving them their winding look.

Bowled over

This is my first attempt (maybe last) at making a bowl. It's made from a cross-section of a maple tree. It was fun for the first couple of hours. Then it turned into hours and hours of hacking and hewing, then hours more of scraping and sanding. 

Well, I guess it looks pretty good, but I think I'll stick to walking sticks.

Hey, Moe!

I was in Houston this week at a photo shoot and met Moe, a two-year-old bulldog. He lives at the studio and, from the looks of things, runs the place. I did a few sketches of him doing his job. He's pretty cute, huh?

Hare of the dogwood

This cane was craved from dogwood, the long bunny ears serve as the handle.

Dolphin with a porpoise

This walking stick was carved from a limb of a pecan tree here in Atlanta. The tree was damaged during a storm so I was able to salvage a number promising limbs and branches before they were hauled away.

Walt & Henry

My friend Walt (a few weeks ago) sketching in the garden, while Henry makes sure he doesn't take anything.

Dogwood dog

This stick was carved from the limb of a dogwood tree in Sussex Co. Virginia. Dogwood is great for making walking sticks because it's very very strong, but light weight. 

Garden, pond, bees & Henry

 A view of the Folly from our garden. I didn't make the frog (found him at a yard sale)

 

The fish pond is stocked with gold fish and a frog.(I didn't make this frog either, got him as a pollywog)

 A new addition to the garden this spring. I checked the hive yesterday and it looks like we're going to be able to harvest honey in a few weeks.

Henry on his porch, he let's me visit once in awhile as long as I don't make him move.

Going holly wood

Both of these walking sticks were carved from holly tree branches.