Aussie Shepherd Dog Woodcarving

[James Nugnes]

Hello folks,

Been awhile since i had presented one of my Dog Woodcarvings here. I know some had grown used to watching for them. Had to move the entire shop for he first time ever and that was one heck of a job. Had done a Merle Blue Aussie before in the Play Bow pose and this customer picked this project from photos of that project.

Came out about like I wanted considering the color change in the Blue Merle coat. Hope you like him.

Aussie Play Bow 1 Sized .jpgAussie play bow 2 Sized .jpgAussie Play Bow 3 Sized jpg.jpgAussie Play Bow 4 Sized.jpgAussie Play Bow 5 sized.jpg

[John Goodrich]

I'm new here and also new to carving so I don't remember your previous works but this dog is amazing. It looks like the painting takes as much talent as the carving.

[James Nugnes]

Thanks John...that is a really good point as well as a great compliment. This is something that I had to deal with right from the start having chosen 3D realistic carvings as the art form by type that i wanted to pursue. To do it at all well with either artistic or commercial aspirations or both, you have to develop your carving skills to a pretty high level and then everything else to just about as high a level.

For example, you have to be able to build your own pattern files unless you are not going to carve from pattern files. But if you are, you have to be able to build them yourself at least for this type of work. That requires a certain level of drawing skill and you have to understand that pattern files are not necessarily going to be the realistic representation that you are intending for your carving project. The pattern files you build are to help you get where you want to go in the wood.

You have to be able to understand your subject's anatomy to a pretty high level. You may not exercise it to the same degree for each project. But you better know it. You are absolutely correct in pointing to the painting and I would also suggest the finishing over paint. I believe based on my experience that I have had to develop my painting skills to as high a level as the carving skill or else I would fail to be able to deliver either to my personal level of satisfaction or deliver on my client's expectations.

Here is where i think i got lucky. I decided from day 1 what kind of work I wanted to do...what form I wanted my art to take, recognized that it was not going to be easy and never took a sideways step or a backwards step....I never tried to do easier work anticipating that it would help take me to an ability to do difficult work. I mention that because there is another school on this topic that says do what you can do when you can do it and hopefully you can get to a more difficult art form [if that is where you want to go] by working your way up to it. In my case, it was better to tolerate what i considered pretty poor quality work but work absolutely within the sphere where i wanted to be instead of producing higher quality in a less demanding sphere which happened to not be where I wanted to be.

Now i am not suggesting it can not be done adopting the opposite view from mine. These are really personal decisions that the artist makes. But i can say without reservation, that if I had tried to "work up to it" so to speak I may never have gotten close to the work I can produce today and at the very least it would have likely taken me twice the time. My view of it is that if I was not doing the work I wanted to do, regardless of how difficult that work might be, I would have been wasting my time. I am a type that will not grow frustrated with the quality of my work as long as i am progressing. But I can quickly grow weary of work that does not interest me. In my case the difference between the quality level i could achieve early on and the quality level I wanted to produce fueled me and it still does.

So I can't say if you are like me. But if you are, I would suggest you do the work you want to do and if the quality is not want you want let that fuel your efforts and do not fall into the trap of being discouraged by your output. Myself, I latch onto the tiniest little bit of improvement while not ever ignoring my shortcomings. Trust that you know yourself and that you would not likely have set yourself up to fail and no matter what happens, keep producing.

Thanks again for your kind words of appreciation.

[Mel Fulks]

Quite realistic and really shows the "coiled spring " intensity .

[James Nugnes]

Thanks Mel...One of the things I strive for in all my animal carvings is a sense of motion or showing an instant immediately before motion. Here the subject's weight is on its left hind quarters .....the animal is ready to spring out from the Play Bow pose which is really how dogs use Play Bow in real life.

I also really go out of my way to avoid gumball eyes, whether I am carving the eyes or using glass eyes....I hate gumball eyes which is a term for a vacant stare.

[Bruce Page]

Excellent! One of your best pieces yet!

[James Nugnes]

Thanks Bruce......I am really pleased that my skill set continues to improve. While I was moving and not carving, I really lost some of the dexterity in my fingers, hands and forearms. But it is coming back pretty quickly...... happy to report.