The nights are drawing in!

So the nights are drawing in and Shauns feeling the cold, time for a new fleece!
So principal photography has just finished on the new Shaun the Sheep movie and this is the time when we herd all the sheep back to modelmaking. So over the next few weeks at the workshop we shall be giving the sheep their new winter coats, giving them a good clean and make any improvements that are needed. I'm just finshing up with my adjustments of the all fours shauns, and hopefully be finished by the end of the week.  Over the next few months I should be posting some pics on how I went about it, but untill then here's Shaun in his most basic form.

Morph he's back!

Well what great news.  Thanks to the great success of the kickstarter campaign Morph is back.  A new episode every Friday.  He first appeared on our screens back in 1977 on Take Hart, created by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. So be sure to check him out here http://amazingmorph.com/

Shaun The Sheep The Movie!

So I've been working on Shaun The Sheep The Movie for a while, and although I cant talk about it much until its released I thought I would post a link to the website were you can watch the trailer for the film. Out in spring 2015.

http://shaunthesheep.com/  the main website.

http://shaunthesheep.com/news/teaser-trailer-released-shaun-sheep-movie-0  The trailer

enjoy!

Gloves

So just a few gloves I've been making recently. A process of spraying silicone onto a former. Applying different textures by the process of altering the pressure of the airbrush and thickness of the paint. Love spraying this silicon you can get some great results.

Spoons

Been a long time, but here's a few spoons for you!

Enjoy!

2nd Spoon!

So I thought I would post a few pics of my second spoon which I made from Birch fished with Flax Oil.  Its a cooking spoon that's why it has that sharp point in the corner for getting into the corner of the pan when cooking.
Been great fun to do and I've been making a few more Spoon blanks with Nigel Leach this bank Holiday, so lots to do!

I would like to say a massive thanks to Nigel with helping me with this one with his guidance and inspiration!  Also I would like to say to any beginners here that it really helps if you can get a more experienced carver to help guide you in those first baby steps into carving.  Or go on one those great courses that many in this forum provide or get yourself down to Spoonfest.  Its helped me so much and made the process so much more fun, and I feel that I have progressed that much quicker because of it.  Big Kudos to all those great carvers out there who are willing to share their knowledge.  I Thank You!

 



 

Colorado spooning.

Just received my spoon for  the international spoon swap all the way from Colorado.  Made by a chap called  Bear Limvere. The spoon is made of Ponderosa Pine and is finished with "odies oil". A massive thank you to Bear. The swap has been of great inspiration to me as a new carver and will help me improve my own skills! Anyway here are some pics, enjoy.

International Spoon Swap!

So i belong to a group on Facebook who love everything to do with green woodworking and making spoons.
Last year I went to a great little event in Edale Called Spoonfest, a first of its kind.  About 100 or so people leaning and sharing skills in how to make spoons.  So part of this new Facebook group was to go the next step and set up the first International spoon swap.  Where like minded carvers, craftsmen and women make a spoon each and send to someone else across the other side of the world.  Well actual mine went just down the road to Devon but you get the idea.  The recipient of my spoon didn't know who was making it and I didn't know who I was to receive one from!  All very exciting.
Well I loved participating in this event and hope there's one next year.  Its a great way to learn from other great crafts people.

So here are a few pics of my finished spoon, made from cherry and finished with flax oil. The spoon also shows my makers mark which I must thank Nigel leach for in helping me design it, another great spoon maker.

check him out here  https://www.facebook.com/NiggleberryTreen?fref=ts  he makes things to order if you were ever interested in commissioning any pieces from him.

Thanks again I hope you like the spoon.

A lazy Sunday!

So I say lazy, but in hindsight quite a tiring one. Had 2 swimming parties to attend with the boys but had chance to make a few paracord braclets. Been wanting to make a few of these for a while, so ordered some 550 paracord and buckles from wild elk off the net. Watched a few YouTube vids and here are the results!  Great fun to make and super easy.

One ring to rule them all!

So this ring is made from a plane tree burl, which may friend gave me. Great fun working on it, but a little soft in parts which was a bit tricky. Sanded then coated it with several coats of superglue followed by a polish.  I think it came out real nice, hope you like it!

Oscar time!

So its been a long time since I posted last. I just wanted to say good luck to Pete lord and the gang at the Oscars tonight, we are all hoping they bring back the golden guy back to bristol. Here's Pete with the Polly I made for him just before Christmas, which he loved.  
I'll have everything crossed and hope pirates win, good luck!

Spoon Knifes and Spoonfest

So over the last few weekends me and a friend of mine attended Spoonfest in Edale.  This event was a first of its kind promoting spoon carving.  So before we left we experimented with making some of our own spoon knifes. A little bit of amateur blacksmithing, if you can call it that.  Bloody good fun.  Had a great time at Spoonfest and met some amazing people, cant wait for next year.  But until then a few pictures of our blacksmithing attempt!

 

She's all Done!

All the pollys that Ive been working on for such a long time are now finished.  Semi rigid Casts were taken from the original molds from the film Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists, and reassembled and posed.  Some resculpting had to be done and a whole set of new molds made. Ten Casts were then produced and painted and final assembled.
The original sculpt was done by Andrew Bloxham and the wonderful paint job by Ruth Mitchell of makeupandmodels-http://rmmakeupandmodelmaking.wordpress.com
I hope you like them!