(Click to view... 95KB)Not only did Ron Dobson’s relief win best-of-show honors in Tustin, it was also awarded first place and best-of-show ribbons in the L.A. County Fair. The carving is a likeness of an oil painting depicting a young man carving the Madonna.
“I felt that it was an ideal carving, showing the concentration of the young carver and the beautiful results of his labors,” the Riverside, Calif., carver says.
Carved from basswood, the work measures 36 by 48 by 21/2 inches. The carving knives are carved from walnut and birch.
“Notice the practice hand hanging at the end of the cabinet,” Ron points out. “Under the cabinet and in the upper right-hand corner the plaster has fallen off exposing the old brick work below.”
All the shavings on the table and covering the floor were placed there using tweezers to dip the shavings one by one into a very small amount of glue and placing them in just the right location. The shavings were saved from carving the frame moulding because they were all approximately the same size.
The finishing process involved applying coats of lacquer sander sealer, thinned 50% with lacquer thinner, and one coat of no-gloss lacquer finish. Sanding took place between each of the coats. Of course, this was done before the shavings were applied.