Black Bear

Thursday, June 15, 2023

The Cottage at Fishing Bridge

 15 June 2023

For more than 25 years (1945-1968), our family occupied a little brown cottage on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. It built in 1930 as an annex to the trailside museum, and is located just east of the current Visitor Center at Fishing Bridge. We spent every summer from 1st of June to end of August living in the little cottage.  Cooking and heating was done on a large Majestic wood-burning stove, and telephone contact was by a 1900 Kellogg magneto crank telephone. Today, the cottage, along with the Visitor Center, are on the national historic register of buildings in Yellowstone.  The Visitor Center, which was one of four original trailside museums constructed in Yellowstone in 1929-1930, was completely renovated and updated in 2020-2023.

For my sister's 80th birthday, I did the top wood-burning image of the old cottage the way it used to be when the two large lodgepole pine trees were out front and the courtyard was surrounded by a wooden fence with a gate. It was done on a 6"x 6" piece of Basswood.  I colored the roof shingles with an oil paint stick.  I wanted to have one for myself, so, I did another image (the bottom larger photo) on the same size piece of wood. The fence around the court is a little more to correct perspective.




Saturday, April 29, 2023

 29 April 2023

I had an odd piece of Tupelo wood from which I decided to make a monolithic chipmunk. I traced the image out on the wood, then using power tools (Tupelo wood doesn't tolerate hand chisels and carving knives - power tools work much better), I shaped out the image and the rocks, sanded it, and, then, using wood-burning tools, I filled in the body hair. Last, I painted the rock ledge with acrylic paint and covered with a lacquer. 



Tuesday, April 4, 2023

 4 APRIL 2023

SKINNY LENNY JOINS THE CLAN

Lenny finishes up the last of the Roach Clan. Like the others, he is hand-carved from basswood and painted with acrylic paint. The bottom photo is the entire clan together (L-R): Abner, Herman, Lenny, Malcom, Beau (hound), Ezra, Granny, Arlo, Odie, Benny, Bobby Ray, and Wilbur. It has been both fun and a learning experience in three-dimensional carving. I've learned better how to use knives, gouges, power bits, and paint. The older I get the shakier my hands get in fine detail type carving, but I still plan to do another chipmunk and a few birds and animals.






Friday, March 24, 2023

24 March 2023 

GRANNY ROACH

Last but actually first, Granny Roach was carved out of basswood and painted with acrylic paints. 







Monday, February 6, 2023

 6 February 2023

Benny joins the Roach Family.  I finished up Benny this morning.  Like all others in the family, Benny is hand-carved from basswood, painted with acrylic paint, and coated with polyurethane spray.  The little moonshine jug is also basswood with a piece of solder for the handle.  I gave Benny a little brighter look in color and pants and shirt instead of coveralls to give him a distinct personality.  Benny loves his moonshine, as you can see by the spacey look in his eyes. He is a real "Thunder Road" guy.  The family photo below is L to R: Abner, Herman, Malcom, Beau, Ezra, Arlo, Odie, Benny, Bobby Ray, and Wilbur.







Friday, January 27, 2023

 ODIE JOINS THE ROACH FAMILY

Odie is the newest member of the roach family.  He is more seclusive and shy in personality than the others, as you can notice the way he wears his hat down over his eyes.  He is made of the same stuff as his siblings: basswood.  He is hand-carved using knives and gouges and smooth sanded with power tool.  I painted him with acrylic paint and sprayed with fast-drying polyurethane coating.  I've added a family photo (L-R): Abner, Ezra, Herman, Malcom, Beau, Arlo, Odie, Bobby Ray, and Wilbur.  Two final characters will join the family: Granny and Skinny Lenny.






Saturday, January 14, 2023

 14 January 2023

Arlo joins the Roach kin

Arlo is the newest addition to the Roach Family.  Like his other siblings, he was hand-carved from basswood, stained with a natural stain, and painted with acrylic paint.