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Little Brown Bat Homage


Jim Kelso

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Hi Jim,

I am always awestruck when I see your work.

This below the surface carving reminds me of a style of leather carving I enjoyed when I was much younger.

It was called inverted relief carving if I remember correctly and all the patterns were designed to be executed much like this carving.

Also how did you fasten your inlays?

Thank you for sharing your craft

Steve

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Thanks very much for your comments Jesus, Geoff and Steve.

 

Steve the eye is just a very snug press fit. The teeth were set in with crazy glue and carved in place. Your leather comments take me back to my old sandal-making days :D I did a little leather carving too and remember that look. Miss the old Tandy shops.

 

Jim

Edited by Jim Kelso
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  • 3 months later...

I have always found bats to be fascinating creatures. I like how Shadow Master's moth idea translates echolocation for us. Well done, would be neat to see in person. Shadow Master might not be a bad name for the piece...

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I love your bat. Here's one on a Mito-school tsuba on a wakizashi I own.

Tsuba 007.JPG

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Beautiful work as always Jim! I think your wife nailed it, with the contrast between the two elements. I agree that the detailed moth would have been a little too much.

Saign

____________

 

www.saignc.com

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I like how Shadow Master's moth idea translates echolocation for us. Shadow Master might not be a bad name for the piece...

 

That didn't even occur to me but I see what you mean with the moth just "outlined".

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  • 2 weeks later...

That little guy is delightful Jim. I have been wanting to carve a bat for a while and this is a good kick up the rear in that direction.

 

Lovely work sir.

Grey hair and alopecia are signs of age, not of wisdom...

Rósta að, maðr!

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  • 1 year later...

If you are ever interested Jim, the caving community would love to see this work in the Fine Arts Salon during our annual convention. I am a member of the National Speleological Society (NSS) that is the main non-governmental entity that heads the WNS Rapid Response Fund and other associated science and field work on WNS. This year the convention is in Huntsville Ala. It was unfortunately confirmed that WNS has now spread across the Mississippi and the furthest west is now Arkansas.

 

http://nss2014.caves.org/

 

I love the simplicity and implied action in this piece!

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I must have missed this thread... but glad I found it. I was noticing those little michi carving knives and started looking into where to buy.. then I realized I had some! I picked up a set of carving knives from our local craft store last year for $8... with 10 different chisels/knives and say 'Walnut Hollow'. When I opened them I almost threw them away because of the horrible grinds. I just set them aside. But they look exactly like yours.. same geometries, same handles, etc. So... now that I've learned a little about carving chisel sharpening.. I'm going to put em to use.

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