When You Carve Tree Bark, No Two Projects Are Exactly Alike!

In medieval times, shepherd peasants believed that a spirit dwelled deep within each tree. If a shepherd carved a face into the wood, the spirit would be released and good luck would be bestowed upon the carver.

Award-winning carver Rick Jensen—with the help of carver/photographer Jack A. Williams—helps you release the inner spirit from tree bark in this new book. The natural beauty found in a piece of weathered cottonwood bark provides inspiration and direction to create something new and original each time.

Inside, you'll find step-by-step instructions on carving a whimsical house and a tree, plus detailed advice on painting and finishing your carvings. You'll learn about the various species of cottonwood and their particular carving characteristics—plus tips on where to find your supplies.

You'll find a chapter on bark carving basics, including:
• Cutting cross-grain
• Carving soft areas
• Proper bark carving tools, such as hand tools, power tools, glues and more

Learn from the artist how to sketch out your ideas before carving or follow along with a series of detailed patterns of a variety of wood spirits. You'll be guided through each step of the finishing process, to gain a soft, touchable finish by using a unique combination of lacquers, waxes, shoe polish and paint.

Jack A. Williams is a commercial photographer working from his studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Photography was once a hobby for Jack until he discovered he could make a living doing what he enjoyed. He then needed a new hobby, so in 1973 he started woodcarving. His artistic talents have been demonstrated with a third Best of Show in the first National Caricature Carving Competition held at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri; a Best of Show at the Ward Wildfowl Carving Competition in Ocean City, Maryland; Peoples and Carvers Choice and Best of Wood Sculpture at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Best of Division at the International Woodcarvers Congress in Davenport, Iowa. Jack also won first place in the Flex-Cut Tool Internet Carving Competition in 2001. The year 2003 marks Jacks 12th year to coordinate the woodcarving show at Dollywood, which hosts The Great Pumpkin Carving Competition, and to coordinate the National Caricature Carving Competition. In 2003 Jack was elected to become a member of the Caricature Carvers of America and is President and one of the founders of the Tennessee Carvers Guild. Jack now spends a great deal of time photographing carvings at shows and for friends, and his photography appears frequently in many magazines on woodcarving and other subjects. Jack is a co-author of Carving Found Wood with Vic Hood and of The Illustrated Guide to Carving Tree Bark with Rick Jensen, both published by Fox Chapel Publishing Co., Inc.

Rick Jensen got his first taste of carving growing up along the Missouri River bottoms in North Dakota. His father supplied him with a pocketknife at the age of seven. Whittling on sticks started what would become a lifetime of woodcarving. Other artistic endeavors of Rick's include antler carving, bone carving and stone carving.

I have found this book to be very good. It gives you alot of info, and also many different examples. I have also bought his [Rick Jensen] DVD and found it to be excellent.