St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-02
A NEW AND ARTISTIC NOTION,
Wood Carving Has Become the
Fashionable Pastime for New
York Women.

WOOD Carving Has Become the
Fashionable Pastime for New
York Women.
New York Star.
That various fields of labor and art
hitherto exclusively occupied by men
are being rapidly invaded by women, is
fact that finds a striking Illustration
in the enthusiasm with which many
ladies of leisure are turning their atten-
ton to wood carving.
This art, in the minds of those unin-
formed upon the subject. is confounded
with the work turned out by the scroll
saw, but it is an entirely different pur-
suit; and though it has engaged the at
tention of the ladies in Europe for some
years, it has never until now received
consideration among fashionable women
in this country who have time to give to
the cultivation of their skill in this
direction.
Several ladies of prominent families,
who have been deeply interested in
wood carving as pastime during last
winter, have, since their departure for
their country seats, had WOrkrOomS
fitted up to devote to the development
of their ambitious efforts in the carving
of articles of utility or ornament.
Chatting with lady who has gained
remarkable proficiency in carving, |
was surprised to learn with how little
expense she was able to acquire her
knowledge of an art which, while per-
hitting such satisfactory results, really
demanded SO little investment of capital
for tools or so few lessons to develop
knowledge of it.
ANY woman or child with taste for
carving can, by the expenditure of less
than s. for an asSortmentO of steel chiselS
of four sizes, varying from an eighth of
an inch in width to an inch wide, three
gougeS of different sizes, mallet, a
knife resembling a shOemaker's, and
parting tool. open broad field for the
exhibition of her abilities. Sets of light
tools, which are known as ''printcut-
ters' TOOLS" are best adapted to the
delicate hands of women, and small
handles can be bought to which these
instruments are easily fitted. Should a
person be disposed to eXpend S. for a
course of half dozen lessons such an
insight to the details of the work might
be obtained that would only require in
duStry and perseverance to turn out
good work.
There are three kinds of wood carv-
ing-the relief, surface and incised; and
designs are easy to obtain by copying
nature, or reproducing designs pub
lished in art journals, or they can be
easily drawn by any one who has little
floral or geometrical patterns. With
solid table or work bench placed in
strong light, the first attempt at carving
is best made upon simple pattern, let
US say of an oak or ivy leaf.
A panel of walnut, mahogany or any
close-grained wood is good selection
of material to begin upon. English oak
being harder, is less desirable for
maiden effort. Drawing the pattern
upon the wood, the first process
of carving known as stabbing out"
follows, which can be effected by en-
ploying the chisel in stabbing the out
line of the leaf, OF using little notched
instrument called pattern Whee!, !"
which turns on pressure and dents the
outline as it is pushed along. Then the
cutting away should be begun, eau
tiously at first, until experience teaches
the best method of working with or
against the grain and securing accuracy
in the following of the pattern. 1t is
an excellent idea to have real leaf at
hand, in order to follow nature with
precision and make the veins and fiberS
truthfully.
The carver should always take care to
cut thoroughly, leaving no fragments
and considering what the effect of every
stroke of the chisel is to be. Having
completed the outline, the midribs of
the separate lobes of the leaf should be
stabbed out and the surface of the lobes
slanted down to them from side to side.
The second stage is repetition of the
first process, and the appearance of the
leaf must be considered after the ground
and shade can be artisticaliy rendered
by judicious use of the gouges applied
at different degrees of curvity.
The principles of carving, once ac-
quired, are easily adapted to ornamen-
tation, and the skillful amateur can soon
undertake more ambitious designs.