Kachina Dolls and Carving Them...

Hopi, (literally translated) means a person who behaves in a polite or peaceful way. The Hopi are a communal farming people who reside on and near three mesas in northeastern Arizona. More than nine thousand Hopi live on a 1.5 million-acre reservation that encompasses a dozen villages.

The word kachina (kah-chee-nah) has long been used by outsiders to refer to any of the hundreds of spiritual beings central to Hopi religious life as well as to the dolls that depict them. However, according to the Hopi, katsina (kahts-ee-nah) is more correct and preferred. In English, the plural of kachina is kachinas, but in the Hopi language the plural of katsina is katsinam.

The first known kachina dolls were obtained by traders in 1857. From then on others were picked up sporadically until about the end of the 19th century. Little is known about these except that they were basically simple in style, with slightly detailed masks and simplified bodies. 

How Kachina dolls are made

Kachina doll making today involves both tradition and artistry. Kachina dolls are traditionally carved from the roots of cottonwood trees which once were abundant on and near the Hopi lands. The Hopi word for cottonwood root is paako, which means water wood, and the cotton-wood root's ability to seek and find abundant water mirrors the ability of the katsinam to do the same for the Hopi people.

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The Importance of the PENCIL

The importance of the pencil sharpener has always been underrated.
I remember a story about Werner von Braun when he was working for Adolph Hitler designing the V1  rockets during World War 2. Money was very tight and only available for items vital to the project.
One day he ordered a "milling machine" to be used for shaping small wooden dowels. When his request was approved he went out and bought a pencil sharpener.
Al Limiero

Artisanal Pencil Sharpening

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"Little Shaver" Pencil Sharpener

A century ago, pencil sharpeners held a much more important role in daily life than they do now, since the pencil was then the predominant writing implement.   Read the rest click here

 

His illuminating hobby -- lighthouse carving

Originally published: November 10, 2011 5:46 PM
Updated: November 11, 2011 9:15 PM
By LIZA BURBY  Special to Newsday CONNECT TO NEWSDAY CLICK HERE

Photo credit: Gwen Young |  Vincent Keating, 81, of Stony Brook, has spent the past 15 years or so crafting dioramas that are built around a lighthouse. He donates them to those whos spirits need lifting. (Oct. 13, 2011)

Vincent Keating's woodworking skills have earned him a nickname from his friends -- Geppetto, after the fictional woodcarver who created a wooden puppet named Pinocchio. But the 81-year-old Stony Brook resident doesn't mind a bit; the only thing that matters about his hobby is that it makes people happy.
After retiring from his career as a Long Island Rail Road ticket agent, Keating combined his love of woodworking and his fondness for Long Island lighthouses into gifts for friends, as well as strangers.
Each wooden lighthouse is set in a box frame and surrounded by miniature holiday scenes and popular themes to please adults and children alike. There's a World War II scene, complete with tiny airplanes ready to take flight, a snow-covered Christmas theme, and pieces that are inspired by popular children's movies such as "Pirates of the Caribbean," "March of the Penguins" and "Cinderella."

H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N !!!

Carving a Pumpkin: CLICK HERE

How to Begin Woodcarving with a Utility Knife

Woodcarving is a time tested hobby that is both relaxing and fun. However, starting out can be intimidating. If you want to give the hobby a try without buying a lot of expensive tools, here's how to get started on a simple carving using just a utility knife and a few other things that cost very little.

Choose your pattern. The first part of any woodcarving project is deciding what to carve. There are many places you can find good pattern books, such as hobby shops and the internet, or you can draw your own. The rest of the article...click here!

How to Carve a Crochet Hook

In order to crochet, you'll need a proper crochet hook. If you're more of the do-it-yourself type of person, or can't find the hook size you need in your local shop, it's easy enough to carve your own. Your own hand-carved hooks may become some of your favorites, even if you also have purchased hooks on hand.

Steps

1. Select the material you want your hook to be in. You can use a wooden or plastic chopstick, or a hardwood dowel. You can even start with a reasonably straight piece of a branch, for as long as it is well-dried. You will have less carving to do if the material starts with approximately the size and shape you want the finished hook to be, particularly the diameter. Click here for the rest of article!

Santero Pete Ortega Carves Figures From Native Woods

Author: Gussie Fauntleroy

Modern-day Michelangelo: Santero Pete Ortega carves distinctive figures from pieces of wood
Pete Ortega has been called “the Michelangelo of woodcarving.” Like the famed Italian Renaissance sculptor, Ortega “sees” a figure within the natural shape of uncarved material—in his case, gently twisting cottonwood root or other wood native to the Southwest. With skills honed over almost 45 years, he deftly removes the excess wood, allowing the saint or angel or animal he knew was in there to emerge.
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START WITH SHARP Tools !

–SHARPENING–
    Every carver's got his own recipe for proper sharpening. You'll develop your own as you get more and more into carving. That's why I only gave you a 'short list' above.
   You'll also find that some tools react well to one abrasive medium, while others sharpen better with another, even though all the tools are of good quality and proper hardness. This is because the tools are probably made of different steel alloys (of which there are many). Let's visit some of the tools and techniques. Read the rest of the article...