---- Chris Pye: WOODCARVING - NEWSLETTER ---- June 2002 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com "Dedicated to the teaching, learning and love of woodcarving" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello everyone! Please forward this newsletter to a woodcarving friend, and anyone else you think might be interested. Thanks! This is an opt-in newsletter and you should only be receiving it because you requested it from the website, or were sent it by a friend. Subscribe or Unsubscribe easily on the home page here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/index.html or using the link at the end of the newsletter. ****Back issues here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html including zipfile for 2001 newsletters ============================================================ 1. Slipstones Woodcarving Magazine - June 2002 2. Website News 1) UK ToolShop & Auriou Woodcarving Tools 2) New Website Inspiration 3. Article: Foundations of Woodcarving 4: 'Working With The Tool' by Chris Pye 4. Quick Carving Questions 1) Protecting Painted Carvings? 2) Fish Tail Gouges? 3) Minimum Sharpening Equipment? 4) Do You Need To Buy My New Books? 5. Would You Believe It! A Quick Quiz... 6. Parallel Lines Guest Article 'How To Mind Map Your Business' by Michael Southon 7. YOUR LAST CHANCE!! To join me at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship 8. In the Offing: New Tools Designed by Chris Pye 9. Some Website Bookmarks ____________________________________________________________ 1. SLIPSTONES WOODCARVING MAGAZINE- June 2002 ____________________________________________________________ Have you got a nagging woodcarving question? Something you are not clear on, or for which you need a little advice? Slipstones Woodcarving Magazine is like an invitation to my workshop where I share my experience of over 25 years as a professional woodcarver, and offer advice and support, along with that of other subscribers. Join me! For full details of this invaluable interactive woodcarving magazine, go now to: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html And get your FREE copy of '101 Master Woodcarving Secrets', exclusive to subscribers. Back issues of Slipstones now available without subscribing. ----- THIS MONTH: A *SPECIAL* Besides drawing, what non-carving practice will really help you progress as a woodcarver? Well, working in some 3 dimensional way, such as in mud (sorry, clay!) In Slipstones this month you'll see how and why I made a full size clay model for a relief carving: Phoenix Rising from the Flames. We will be going on to taking the working drawing and the carving itself in future issues. * 8 compelling reasons to start modelling * Tools and how to go about it. * Isn't it just copying? Absolutely not, the way I use it. * Is it useful? - It's fair to say that sometimes I could not begin a carving without the help of a model. * Is it fun? Definitely! Why should kids have it all? Find out how to set about and use a clay model - subscribe to Slipstones magazine. And get your FREE copy of '101 Master Woodcarving Secrets', exclusive to subscribers. Have you downloaded your FREE sample edition of Slipstones? Find it here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html ____________________________________________________________ 2. WEBSITE NEWS ____________________________________________________________ 1) UKToolshop and Auriou Woodcarving Tools If you want to carve well, you need good carving tools. In the future, I intend using the website to bring you the best among carving tools, and I am starting here with the French make, Auriou. Auriou tools are not well known in the UK or USA although they have been making carving gouges, chisels, rasps and rifflers in Saint-Juéry, France, since 1856. They are a small independent concern with an excellent product with a wide range of shapes and sizes. And there is no doubt in my mind that their woodcarving tools, 'hand-stitched' rasps and rifflers are among the best to be had. My experience of The UKToolShop is that they care about their customers and offer a very good service, mailing all over the world. So for these two reasons I'm very happy to recommend Auriou woodcarving tools and the UKToolShop to woodcarvers: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_uktoolshop.html You'll find an introductory page with a few more comments. Additionally, the UKToolShop sells other quality tools and equipment including: ** The extraordinary CHINESE FISHTAIL SOCKET GOUGES - reviewed in my book Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment, Vol.2, page 63 and in which I also tell you how to make and fit a suitable handle to the socket. http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/writing/w_bk1vol2.html ** TRADITIONAL CARVERS CHOPS - have been around in a similar form for hundreds of years. The first dedicated carver's vice I had, and still very useful... Lastly: I am, and always will be, on the side of you, the carver. As part of my support for you, as well as the UKToolShop, you can write to me about any aspect of Auriou or other tools presented on the website and I will do my best to advise. As I said: if you want to carve well, you need good carving tools. And these are good tools: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_uktoolshop.html 2) NEW INSPIRATION This month, something I know many carvers forget at times. Intrigued? Here it is: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/g_inspiration.html ____________________________________________________________ 3. ARTICLE: Foundations of Woodcarving by Chris Pye There are some things in woodcarving which are fundamental: "Being, or involving, basic facts or principles; far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect, especially on the nature of something." Over the next few months I want to pick out, briefly, some of my favourites. If I'm any good as a carver then it's because I understand these importance of a few of these fundamentals. 1: March 02 - Bosting In 2: April 02 - Slicing 3: May 02 - Relativity and now... 4: WORKING WITH THE TOOL Something that struck me very early on in my woodcarving life (I hate to call it a 'career' - I'm never going to retire!) was how quickly I lost the sense of having a woodcarving gouge in my hand. I remember how I was concentrating so much on the work and the cutting edge that the experience of the 'tools being extensions of my hand' felt literally real. This is of course a great pleasure: carving away, forgetting the hours; as if the tools are doing the work while you sit back and watch, guiding rather than controlling... I know this is a common experience - but still one I would class as fundamental to the ability to carve well. But if you think I'm romanticising, then I'm writing this for YOU! I'm describing how carving can be at it's best and, hopefully, this is most of the time. But it's not true for all carvers by any means. I know students who get very frustrated with their carving tools, cursing and fretting - I've seen some poor, blameless gouge banished, weeping with indignation, to the dark recesses of the tool roll. They don't get it. I sometimes use the analogy of driving to illustrate. It has 2 parts: When I was learning to drive, I was very self-conscious about gear ('shift') changes, for example, especially when coming to roundabouts or road junctions. Now, however, I will drive for hours and not notice the hundreds of times I have changed gear (shifted) or passed a roundabout on my journey. And I never really notice the car at all unless there is something going wrong: a funny noise or vibration for example. The car sort of 'disappears' into my body. The thing is, it's in the nature of our minds to go on 'automatic pilot' to become one with things we use repeatedly. We are talking nothing more glamorous than habits, and useful, beneficial habits are desirable things. They allow you to concentrate on other more important tasks. How do you get ANY habit? By sheer dint of repetition, practice. It's only when something unusual happens that we are bounced from the habitual, unconscious mind to take a fresh, conscious look at what is happening - such as a particularly gruesome roundabout, or something amiss with the car. Back to carving: when you 'commission' a carving tool, when you 'bring it into service' or make it ready for use, it should be perfect. From the smooth, tactile handle to the correct bevel and a razor edge - everything should be 'just so', ready to go. And working well, smoothly - like a well-serviced car there is very little to notice! And if you are using it a lot, then your mind soon absorbs it and, like the car, it just feels an extension of your body. It was only when there is a little dullness, or it is the wrong shape for some part of the carving, that it comes to your conscious mind and you have to take fresh action: sharpen of change to another for example. So, working WITH the tool, the intimate relationship, comes about through: 1. Having carving tools working at it's very best 2. Practice. And the advantages are that it allows your creativity to just flow through. Like driving your car: you just go where you want to go with a minimal of thinking or even worrying about it. I hope you understand what I am describing here. Feel free to write and I'll be happy to run a follow up. ** Next Month - Working FROM the Tool. ____________________________________________________________ 4. QUICK CARVING QUESTIONS ____________________________________________________________ **** QUESTION 1: Protecting Painted Carvings? **** "I've just painted a carving with acrylics. Do I now need to apply a wax or lacquer of some sort to protect it, or will it be tough enough as it is?" **** ANSWER **** It's not so much protecting the painting itself from knocks and so on as preventing the colours from fading. I seal colours with an acrylic varnish that has U-V protecting filters first. You get this sort of varnish for artists' paintings, and it'll say about the U-V protection on the tin. After this it's the normal beeswax etc to finish. ============================================================ **** QUESTION 2: FISH TAIL GOUGES? **** "I went into town to buy a flat fishtail gouge but didn't check what I was being sold and came back with a 6mm round fishtail gouge. Shall I go back and change it, or is it a useful gouge to have anyway?" **** ANSWER **** Yes, a range of fishtail gouges is very useful for the finishing stages in a woodcarving: they are lighter, more delicate, with more pronounced (and therefore useful) corners. Normally you'd buy them as you worked out which you needed, but I don't think you'll regret keeping it as a start to your collection. ============================================================ **** QUESTION 3: MINIMUM SHARPENING EQUIPMENT? **** "What is the minimum a travelling hand-tool carver needs to keep his tools sharp, assuming the possibility of an occasion need for reshaping and no electricity? (I currently have an India Coarse/fine combo; a Hard Arkansas (greyish) multiform; a stick of Yellowstone polisher, and leather)" **** ANSWER **** What you have sounds good (with the addition of a few slipstones). A lot depends on what you want to do. I use small diamond and ceramic stones for knives because, when on holiday, I resort to my roots as a schoolboy whittler, where any wood (such as a classroom desk) that didn't move quick enough was mine, all mine. Anyone else got a suggestion? ============================================================ **** QUESTION 4: DO YOU NEED TO BUY MY NEW BOOKS? **** 1.... "I know it's tacky to, in effect, ask an author: "Do I have to buy all of your books?" Nevertheless, funds are limited. Do I have to?" and... 2.... "I just seen in Woodcarving magazine you have two new book's volumes 1&2. How much new content is there? I ask because I do have your other books and I'm interested in learning more if the new books have new content. You have been a great influence on my carving. Your books are very well written and a great addition to my library." **** ANSWER **** I'll come clean: I've put my heart into these and my other books. You get to dig deep into my knowledge, understanding and experience of woodcarving. Buy them! More pragmatically for you: I think there's enough new content in the updates to justify the outlay, but why not get them from a library and have a look first? As you say, you are asking the author - that's me! I know this has nothing to do with the question but, on a personal note, when you buy my books, or subscribe to the Slipstones, or the newsletter, or download the eBooks from the website - whatever - I feel quite supported, affirmed, in what I am doing for woodcarving. And, of course, what (little!) money there is from sales goes to my costs of running this website. Which encourages me to do more! So we all gain in the long run. See the books here: (And remember too that if you do buy them through my site, through Amazon, they give me a small commission. This applies to all books bought once you enter Amazon through any book link on my site.) Woodcarving Tools Materials & Equipment, Vol 1: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/writing/w_bk1vol1.html Woodcarving Tools Materials & Equipment, Vol 2: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/writing/w_bk1vol2.html ____________________________________________________________ 5. WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT! ____________________________________________________________ Here's a quick quiz for you. When do you think the following was it written? "With regard to tools, they are not what they used to be, and therefore when an opportunity occurs of buying old tools it is always advisable to do so." Have a guess: a) Last year? b) 10 years ago? c) 50 years ago? d) 100 years ago? e) More? It's a quote from Eleanor Rowe's book: "Hints on Woodcarving" - first published in April 1886, 116 years ago! Here it is again: "With regard to tools, they are not what they used to be, and therefore when an opportunity occurs of buying old tools it is always advisable to do so." ____________________________________________________________ 6. PARALLEL LINES GUEST ARTICLE: 'How To Mind Map Your Business' by Michael Southon ____________________________________________________________ 'HOW TO MIND MAP YOUR BUSINESS' by Michael Southon If you're doing business on the Web, sooner or later you'll probably begin to feel like a juggler trying to keep ten balls flying through the air at the same time. There are just too many elements in your business plan to keep them all going at once. The solution? For many people the solution would be to make a list of all the key elements in their business plan. But lists are linear and the Mind doesn't think in a linear fashion. The Mind thinks in terms of associations, hierarchy, image, color, form, and pattern. So to organize your ideas and generate new ideas, a Map is much more effective than a list. In fact, at the back of your Mind, you probably already have a vaguely defined map of your online business. A Mind Map is simply a way of putting that structure down on paper. Mind Mapping, also known as 'Radiant Thinking', is a technique that was developed in the 1970's by Tony Buzan. A Mind Map consists of a central word or concept, with 5 to 10 main ideas radiating out from that central concept. Here's an example of a Mind Map for an Internet Business. At the center of a blank page are the words 'My Internet Business Plan', circled. Radiating out from those central words are seven key ideas, or Basic Organizing Ideas (BOIs): Search Engine Listings, Ezine Ads, Newsletter, Link Exchange, Writing Ezine Articles, Website, Affiliate Programs. Each of these BOIs is connected to the central circle by outward-pointing arrows, like the branches of a tree. You can see an illustration of this Mind Map at: http://www.freezineweb.com/mind-map.html Each Basic Ordering Idea sprouts a further set of ideas, also connected by outward-pointing arrows, like twigs at the end of a branch. For example, the Basic Organizing Idea 'Ezine Ads' gives rise to four more ideas: 'Paid Ads, 'Ad Swaps', 'Free Ads', and 'Ad Tracking'. 'Ad Swaps' in turn gives rise to two more ideas, 'Newsletter' and 'Website' and so on. Each Basic Organizing Idea can become the center of another Mind Map. In one sense, a Mind Map is simply a map of what you know about a given topic, in this case your online business. And so it's a very effective way of taking an 'inventory' of what you know about a particular subject at a given moment in time. But a Mind Map also causes your brain to make associations. Because each Basic Ordering Idea can become the center of another Mind Map, a Mind Map is capable of producing endless associations. In fact, if you use a Mind Map, whether you're writing an Ezine Article, writing an eBook, designing an entire website, or writing a sales letter, it's virtually impossible to get 'Writer's Block'; the very structure of a Mind Map keeps giving rise to new associations. Another key benefit of a Mind Map is that it helps you organize information hierarchically, in a way that is not possible with lists. The tree-like structure of a Mind Map is a hierarchy and in the process of arranging your information along the 'branches' and 'twigs' of a Mind Map, you'll get a much better grasp of the information you're dealing with. So, to sum up, here are the basic techniques for drawing a Mind Map: - 1. Place a central idea or concept in the middle of a blank page, and circle it. - 2. Jot down 5 to 10 Basic Ordering Ideas, radiating out from the central concept. - 3. Connect each Basic Ordering Idea to the central concept with outward-pointing arrows. - 4. As an aid to creating your Basic Ordering Ideas, ask yourself: "If the central concept of my Mind Map were a book, what would be the chapter headings?" - 5. Each Basic Ordering Idea can become the center of another Mind Map. You can find more information about Mind Maps at the following websites: http://www.peterussell.com/mindmap1.html http://www.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Creative/Mindmap/Radiant.html http://www.shared-visions.com/explore/literature/mindmap.htm http://www.tsd.jcu.edu.au/netshare/learn/mindmap/howto.html ----------------------------------------------------------- © Copyright: Michael Southon is the Editor of the twice-monthly Newsletter, 'FreeZine Express'. You can read more articles like this by subscribing to 'FreeZine Express': mailto:FreeZineExpress-subscribe@topica.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *****COMMENT: HOW IS THIS RELEVANT TO WOODCARVING? This article is aimed at the internet entrepreneur - as is so much on the incestuous beast we call the web - but I was pleased to come across MIND MAPPING for the first time. Believe me, Mind Mapping is fantastic! I came across Tony Buzan's books many years ago and have regularly used these powerful skills in all sorts of areas: working out the structure of all my books, articles and practically everything I've written, including here and on the website! The article describes the basics quite well, though my Mind Maps tend to look like spider's webs as the cross-linking goes in. It's true what the author says about overcoming blocks, although he doesn't say here how you can re-assemble the wide-reaching information into usable forms. Besides writing, I regularly mind map designs and subjects for woodcarving, painting; carving classes and so on. Mind Mapping is useful wherever you might normally think in a straight line - so virtually everywhere! If you haven't before, do give it a go. You'll quickly get used to working this way and the benefits are a revelation. ____________________________________________________________ 7. YOUR LAST CHANCE!! ____________________________________________________________ JOIN ME AT THE CENTER FOR FURNITURE CRAFTSMANSHIP... I am very pleased to have been invited for a 6th year to teach at the Center For Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, a first class establishment and facility for woodworkers by any standard. I am running 3 single-week woodcarving courses. We work hard and you learn by direct hands-on tuition under my supervision. And, we have a lot of fun! Places are limited to 12 in a class, and here's you're chance to join me: June 24 - 28....Letter Carving.....2 places left! July 1 - 5......Relief Carving.....1 place left! July 8 - 12.....Carving Tutorial...2 places left! It's first come, first served. You'll need your own carving tools. For the first 2 courses these are specific; we will be following a programme of work. There is more information about the courses on my page here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_classesUSA.html But you'll find more information about the Center itself, these courses, tool lists etc. at Center For Furniture Craftsmanship's site: http://www.woodschool.org By all means email me with any questions, or Peter Korn, the director of the Center: peter@woodschool.org. **ALL BOOKINGS AND PAYMENTS MUST BE TO THE CENTER ITSELF, not me! Did I mention that the area is a beautiful place to have a vacation? What? Of course you need one! Who doesn't? See you there! ____________________________________________________________ 8. NEW TOOLS DESIGNED BY CHRIS PYE - IN THE OFFING. ____________________________________________________________ I have an extremely useful, absolute favourite, old woodcarving tool and to me it's priceless. I've not found it's like being made today, so it's been irreplaceable. I've winced at the idea of losing it. Until now, that is! I am very pleased to say that I have worked with a well-known and established manufacturer to bring out not just a version of this tool, but a small range. You will be able to see and use them quite soon. And, later in the year, another small range of useful tools will appear. These are completely new, in that I had to make the originals myself to do specific work. "What are they?" You cry! "Who? When? Where? Tell me!" Hey, I'm being enigmatic! You'll have to wait, but you'll get full details here, first... ____________________________________________________________ 9. WEBSITE BOOKMARKS ____________________________________________________________ * UK TOOLSHOP: Auriou woodcarving tools and other equipment http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_uktoolshop.html * Slipstones Magazine http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html * Learning to Carve Free - eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/learncarving/learn_ebook.html * A Guide to Safe Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/safecarving/safecarving_index.html * Mistakes and Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/mistakes/mistakes_ebook.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That's it for this month. I hope you have found this newsletter interesting and useful. Once more: joy and success in your carving! Chris Pye ------------------------------------------------------------- PS: Another one to ponder at the bench: "Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal, while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before." - Herodotus ============================================================ Copyright © Chris Pye 2002 Chris@chrispye-woodcarving.com ------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Pye: Woodcarving Newsletter is listed in the EzinesPlus directory of newsletters and ezines. http://ezinesplus.com -------------------------------------------------------------