Whittlin’ 101: not as easy as it looks
Begin with stick
Add one knife
Start whittlin’
Accidentally break stick
Try to make snake
Discover that sticks have marrow
Realize how much stick looks like gar fish
Whittle some gills
Whittlin’ is so easy
Filed under: General on November 13th, 2006
November 13th, 2006 at 8:32 am
I love how you’ve captured the soulful art of whittling with your use of black & white photography. I think I’m going to go get myself a stick now.
November 13th, 2006 at 8:38 am
You really are a wellspring of enlightenment about so many things. You’re right about your stick; it looks just like a gar fish. Gar fish are ugly. You are beautiful. You are not a gar fish.
November 13th, 2006 at 10:24 am
You never said you could whittle FISH!! I’ll take two!
November 13th, 2006 at 10:53 am
Chase: Whittlin’ is indeed a deeply emotional artform. I highly encourage you to try it yourself!
heather anne: Well, aren’t you the sweetest thing?! Thanks, doll! (And aren’t gar fish creepy-looking? So prehistoric!)
shari: With whittlin’, you can’t really dictate what you’re going to create. The wood and the knife guide your hands, not the other way around. It’s almost zenlike. So while I’d love to commit to two fish for you, it’s up to the wood to decide.
November 13th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Few people are so true to their word, Jen….you’re the best.
November 13th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Dear Jenny,
Will you please whittle me some Gar Fishies to act as center pieces on the tables at my wedding reception? I can pay you in cake.
Sincerely,
Dustin
November 13th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
Wow, Jenny, that makes me want to wander the woods, looking for sticks to send you. And since I generally like my Nature like I like my monkeys, ie on the other side of the glass, that’s saying something about the Power Of Whittlin’.
November 13th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
Jenny, first you have to discover which way the wood grain is going. Once you have spotted the wood grain direction, cut downslope, ALWAYS. Get yourself whittable wood (tupelo or linden). Your cutting tool has to be as sharp as possible.
November 13th, 2006 at 4:49 pm
Get this book:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781579902483&pwb=1&z=y
November 13th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Nicely done. My whittlin’ efforts of yore resulted mainly in smooth sticks. I even have one still somewhere in storage. Enjoyable to do nonetheless. Perhaps I’ll take it up again.
November 13th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
Jess: Thanks! Just wait until I tell you about my next project…
Dustin: Is it chocolate cake? The currency exchange is like this: chocolate cake = 5 gar fish, yellow cake = 3 gar fish, carrot cake = 0 gar fish.
Tracy Lynn: Why does that suddenly make me think of Blair Witch Project – you in the woods, searching for sticks, getting lost, sacrificing some people…
piktor: This wood-carving is complicated stuff!
claire: Nothing wrong with a smooth stick. It is kind of therapeutic, isn’t it?
November 14th, 2006 at 11:07 am
Carrot cake equals zero gar fish?! I am so sorry that our friendship had to end this way.
November 14th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Dear Jenny,
I find your gar fish very Buffy.
Love,
Vivian
November 14th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
Jenny, the dictionary description of “whittle” is “to cut SMALL shavings, to pare down…”.
The photos you posted show deep cuts, not light shavings. The whittling process is slow, gradual and using light pressure. If you can peel a potato, you can whittle, that’s a fact.
November 14th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
Aww, you made a fish stick!
November 14th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
It looks more like an Erkerversenlerson, an antique slotted Norwegian flute known for it’s inability to span one complete octave. But, well, OK, it could be a gar fish. Or a fireplace match.
November 14th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
Pffffftt, you think we’d let actually let carrot cake anywhere within 500 ft. of our wedding??? KJ loves chocolate like Americas love reality TV…to a degree that borders on obession.
If you must know we are indeed having chocolate cake, but the real treat will be the 3 (count them one, two, tres) chocolate fountains. When KJ originally brought up this idea I foolishly asked why 3 were needed. Her response “Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, and White Chocolate…duhhhh!”
Can you spell “chocolate-dipped-chocolate-cake?” I can “Y-U-M-M-Y.”
November 14th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Am I the only one who doesn’t like chocolate? Carrot cake RULZ!
November 15th, 2006 at 9:10 am
Jessica – And this is why Vivian will never love you.