Robin Edward Trudel's Pine Tree Studios

Once again Linden Publishing has asked me to write a book providing inspiration for younger carvers.

This book is projected to include over 40 projects with step-by-step instructions and photographs. Here's a sneak peek:

Tomorrow I'll be demonstrating at Dracut Old Home Days. Stop by and say "Hi"!

Photos will be coming soon.

The painting technique I used was surprisingly successful. I build up layers of red and black with watercolors and then topped them with a layer of acrylic paint. As I added new layers, I wiped some of the wet paint off revealing the coats below. It was particularly effective.

The base was scroll-sawed from a piece of 3/4" walnut and is in the shape of the island of Puerto Rico, the home territory of it's new owner.

I put three coats of a satin water based polyurethane on the horse and base, gently sanded it with ultrafine paper and added two more coats for a silky finish.

I will be adding adhesive felt to the bottom of the walnut as a finishing touch. The sculpture will be delivered some time this week.

The clamping solution worked just fine. The carving was completed several days ago and this weekend I laid down a coat of burnt umber watercolor on the carving.

I like the effect watercolors have on a carving, but they only work on a carving that will be finished with a hard finish, otherwise the color rubs off.

I also prepared a base. I was considering an irregular base, and as the person who commissioned the carving came from Puerto Rico, I took some black walnut and cut a base in the shape of the island of Puerto Rico. I've also transferred the pegs from the pine board I had been using for a stand onto the black walnut stand.

Tasks left are two more coats of different colors and then a number of coats of satin polyurethane. I think I have some water based stuff on hand, but I don't know what that will do to the watercolors.

I tried a number of different clamps and had no luck with finding a way to clamp up the raised leg on the horse.

I took a piece of 3/4" pine, held the of parts in place and traced them onto the board. I bandsawed out a "negative" and built a custom clamp with it. It looked like it was working great. I'll know better when I check it this evening.

It does beg the question "What did the carousel carvers do?". I suspect the answer is that the entire animal was glued up at once.

A copy of a page containing notes on how to carve a caricature eye.

( click for reference sheet )

Additional patterns from very early in my carving career. Enjoy.

( click to reveal patterns )

This is one of a few recently recovered resources I'm happy to post.
( Jesus on the Cross )

The February NEWC meeting was held today. If you've got any interest in carving it's a great place to meet carvers of all levels of experience. There's more info on their website, but the meetings are held at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, MA.

There were at least a half dozen mini-classes going on with something like 40 participants carving. It's wonderful progress from the old days over at the VFW.

This is a commissioned horse in progress. The animal was cut in pieces from basswood. In order to keep the finished carving strong, the pieces were cut with grain going in strong directions. The photos show the pieces more or less where they will be when it is glued up. I will need to make some sort of base for it.

This is a link to the post I made on July 3, 1995 about my website on the NCSA's What's New announce list.

Yes boys and girls, there was a time when the web was so small that there was a maillist to tell folks about new sites.

Here's a link to the original site courtesy of the wayback machine.

A certain birthday gift is complete. Photos once the gift has been delivered.

I did some work on the hair, face and body of one carving last night. I can't attach the legs until any work I need to do that requires clamping is complete. I decided do go with the chiseled look instead of sanded and that will require skim-carving the entire body. Fortunately my ulu knife is a good tool for that job.

Stalled a bit on the horse, though that will likely get attention next.

Some months back I was commissioned to make a blue rose bottle stopper for x_bluerose_x. I documented the process for an article in Carving Magazine. Last month I got an email and one of the subscribers used the article as a bases for an activity were a bunch of folks carved a number of roses.

(Scroll down to the bottom to see the article.)

Back in the day I wrote a product review for Microplane.

Superior quality tools. I believe I suggested their kitchen line. I was delighted to see them in one of the high end kitchen stores in the mall last week.

Here's a link to the book on Amazon.de:
Schnitzen für Kinder

For those who have asked:
Carving for Kids: An Introduction to Woodcarving

By the end of January http://www.teamtrudel.com will be going away. I'll be using this site exclusively to promote and post my work on the internet.

As a result, in the coming weeks there will be more content posted here. Most of the content on the teamtrudel site will be archived and will no longer be available.

I frequently write articles for Carving Magazine available at bookstores and craft stores all over North America.

It's a great magazine and I suggest anyone interested in wood carving give it a look.