Cattail Clock

This beautiful clock was created by my father as a gift to my mother.  Mike constructed it from walnut and added the workings and glass.  The clock had a lovely tone and had to be wound with a key once a day. It would chime the hour and then a subtle chime on the half hour.

Unfortunately my brother and I hit it with a ball and it fell from the wall, never worked again.  Whoops.  Yes we got in big trouble but it stayed on the wall to this day.

Mike created many panels and carving in various clocks, especially grandfather clocks. One I remember in particular was a grandfather clock that had a male deer jumping over a log on each side.  I believe this was sold from Krauss Furniture in Amana Iowa.  If anyone has seen this clock I would love a photo to add to the web site here.

Horse in a Barn Door

This was one of those pieces my Dad and Grandfather often did.  They were in my parents house and grandfather's house and because you saw them so much they became invisible.  I was recently sitting at my mother's and realized I never added the piece to the web page.

This is one my Dad created.  It was carved in basswood I would guess then painted with oils.  I don't think many wood crafters mix media like this but it was something Mike and Richard did often.

I've also included some detailed shots for a closer look at the work that went into this.  Notice the wood grain carved into the door from and the wooden walls and beam in the barn background.  The latches and square nails were also carved.  Even the stack of straw in the background has texture.

Really an amazing relief carving.

More Boots This Time From Josh

Joshua sent me a few shot of the boot he owns.  Seems pretty similar to mine.  Really great example.  Thanks a lot Josh.

Happy the Cowboy

Here is one I didn't know my brother had.  Happy the cowboy was in my house most of our lives.  So he must have been created back in the 70s.  He's a little dusty these days but you can still see the oil paint is still pretty vibrant.

Happy and I had a bit of history because as a young boy I accidently broke it.  I busted his legs off at the knees.  I tried to cover my tracks and just glue it back together but Dad noticed.  Caught! He then took it and fixed it properly.  I couldn't even see where the break was.

One can assume he was named happy because of the bottle in his hand or maybe because of his simple look ignorance is bliss.  Either way glad to see he's still around.

Indian Cowboy Caricature

Visiting my brother he mentioned he had a few of the cowboy caricatures that our father created.  He was  big fan of western movies and created many of these exaggerated guys.  They are very hard to find and I was glad to have an opportunity to add them to the blog.

Here we have an Indian cowboy.  I really have no backstory on this guy but I would assume it was created back in the 70s.  I suppose it wouldn't be considered very politically correct today but back then the issue wasn't considered.

Once cared Mike would have painted it with oils before the final varnish.  He a little dinged up and dusty but still great to see.

Wooden Bells

Although they weren't as intricate as the carvings always around the holidays Mike and Pat would busily get making wooden bells.  They looked good on a tree and they were a great seller during that time of year.  They also made great gifts from our family with a tight budget and 5 kids.  This meant countless hours on the lathe making bells of all kinds complete with a functioning clapper inside.  The would be strung up all over Mike's office as he and Pat sanded, varnished, and hung them up to dry.

The examples below were my picks from the year's creations.  The one is obviously made from walnut but the other is box elder wood.  The reason I chose it was because Mike had found a few box elder trees that had streaks of red running through the white wood which was quite striking.  However over time the wood has gotten darker and the red has faded entirely.  Now it looks more like maple.

There were also a few rare school bells Mike made which were larger and had a large wooden handle however I haven't seen any sign of these in years.

Shoes Found on Ebay

My cousin found and purchased this set of shoes made by The Whittler on ebay.  It came with a nice note from the past owner  explaining that she purchased them at an estate auction.  Now they have a home back in the family.  It's great to hear where these shoes have traveled.