I cut the plan view first which produces two ‘cheek’ block offcuts; these are reattached to the core with double-sided tape and the profile is then cut.
Now the carving is being rough shaped with a Salmon bend chisel, used the wrong way up, to help give the body the curvature that I need.
Carving the tail feathers is a delicate job using a very small chisel and sharp craft knife.
The top surfaces of the tail have been carefully textured on a light heat setting, then the detail markings put in using a tad more heat.
I often use a cotton glove with the tips of the forefinger and thumb removed so that I can ‘feel’ the brush and also rest my other fingers on the carving without the risk of transferring any oil to it.
The base almost complete, the blue colouring is the release agent that prevented the carving sticking to the rocks and stones when it was squeezed down onto the base during the forming of the epoxy feathers fairing the carving to the base.
