Pleasing designs are the hardest for me. I tend to make a few practice boards with different design possibles before settling on one. Thanks for the comments!
This is lovely….& inspiring. I understand a traditional method of coloring for depth was done with coffee grounds. Being a light tea drinker myself, I'm wondering how you finish your crosses. They are all beautiful!
My finishing technique is a bit different on chip carvings. Before I start too layout or carve the piece I sand to a 200 grit then spray a thin coat of Deft lacquer to seal the surface because basswood takes stain dark. I then carve the piece and lightly sand off any leftover marks carving. I now will spray another coat of sealer on the piece and then stain it with a gel stain. Because chip carvings aren't subject to a lot of handling I finish the piece with the Deft spray lacquer which I like because each coat melts itself into the last coat sprayed and it leaves a very beautiful finish. Thanks for asking.
Hello Roger, as usual your work is very crisp and accurate and symmetrical with a greatattention to detail. I am always amazed at your ability to produce new designs that I haven't seen in books or anywhere else.#