Welcome to Pondside Studio!
Hi! I'm Allen Aardsma. This website is about my woodcarving and artwork. But have fun exploring it, because it also includes some of my writings and music, as well as other's artwork, too.
I hope you enjoy following my progress on the current carving project. You may also enjoy viewing "Carving Videos & Slide Shows" under the "Carving Help" tab, above.
Everything I create is in celebration of the beauty and wisdom of the God of the Bible, Who - besides being my Creator and Savior - is the Master Artist, Consummate Composer, and Infallible Author.
Welcome to Pondside Studio!
Hi! I'm Allen Aardsma. This website is about my woodcarving and artwork. But have fun exploring it, because it also includes some of my writings and music, as well as other's artwork, too.
I hope you enjoy following my progress on the current carving project. You may also enjoy viewing "Carving Videos & Slide Shows" under the "Carving Help" tab, above.
Everything I create is in celebration of the beauty and wisdom of the God of the Bible, Who - besides being my Creator and Savior - is the Master Artist, Consummate Composer, and Infallible Author.
Today in The Studio
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
MOCKINGBIRD
TREE SWALLOW
CLAY MODELS FOR CASTING
WINTER WRENS
This is the species and this is the pose I will be working on.
1. Monday, September 17, 2018
I spent the first part of the day experimenting with some new sulfur-free clay I recently bought to make models for molding and casting. I soon learned that the clay was far too hard. I ordered some softer clay.
3. Wearing leather gloves and using the Spey blade on the Buck 307 jackknife, I begin to rough them out.
5. It can be difficult to derive three-dimension from a photo. But, gradually, the little wrens are taking shape.
7. There's no doubt about it: I really love making small, Pocketknife songbirds! Here's how the wrens looked when I went to the cabin for dinner at 12:15.
9. There is still much fine carving to do, then the painting and mounting, but the wrens are beginning to take on their own character, and I'm pleased to think that I am getting closer to capturing the ping-pong ball shape I am after.
11. By 3:30, all the wrens had their base-coat on along with some of their detail.
13. I painted the wrens all morning and finished them shortly after noon.
15. Here, all the wrens are mounted on their bases, and their toes have been added. I should be able to finish them, tomorrow.
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2. I spent the rest of the day getting started on a new batch of Winter Wrens. This time, I hope to make them very round and very cute.
4. I switch to the Warren knife and a convex blade to rough out their beaks.
6. The day ends with another spectacular sunset behind our cabin. After spending my day doing my best as an artist, the Master Artist effortlessly turns out a scene that no earthly artist can ever hope to reproduce. And, almost every evening, He treats us to a brand new, original, uniquely beautiful sunset.
8. I finally finished shaping the plump Winter Wrens and was able to begin carving some fine detail.
10. Wednesday, September 19, 2018
I resumed carving on the wrens just after 8:00, this morning. Shortly after lunch, I was able to finish carving the wrens, drill leg holes, and put them on paint sticks - ready for painting.
12. I sorted through one of the tubs of driftwood in the garage and chose nine potential bases.
14. After putting wire 'legs' in each bird, I marked each base for their correct placement and prepared to drill the marked holes in the bases.
16. Friday, September 21, 2018
I finished the Winter Wrens today, and they look very cute. They are now in the online Pondside Store.
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LOON ORNAMENTS & FRIDGIES
The Loon Ornaments for my good friend, Dr. Nina Schoch, were completed today.
Nina has dedicated her life to studying, rescuing, and protecting loons.
Here are two ways to learn more about Nina and her work on behalf of this magnificent bird . . .
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Adkloon
Saranac Lake store's website: https://squareup.com/store/adkloon
If you like loons in art,
you may also be interested in visiting the Paul Smith's VIC between now and October 8.
During this time, an art show about loons is being featured there.
Artwork in various media from local artists - including myself - is on display and for sale.
Phone: (518) 327-6241
Website: http://www.paulsmiths.edu/vic/
1. Tuesday, September 11, 2018
For the next few days I'll be working on 30 loon fridge magnets in three different poses. Here, the patterns have been traced on 1/4" pine and cut out on the bandsaw. Fridgies take quite a long time to make.
Already, there is nearly 10 minutes in each cutout.
3. Wednesday, September 12, 2018 I spent the first couple of hours this morning sanding the edges of the 31 Loons. I do this using a mandrel loaded with 120 grit sandpaper on the Foredom. This picture was taken after all the loons had been sanded.
5. The final step before painting is to use the wood-burner to trace all of the pencil lines I made in the previous step.
7. For the remainder of the afternoon, I applied one base coat color after another to the loons until no more bare wood was showing on any of them.
9. After they were all painted, I sprayed them with a satin finish, sanded their backs, attached the magnets, and dated and signed them -- attractive little works of art.
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2. Almost every evening, we get to enjoy a different, magnificent sunset. This was last night's.
4. The next step was to draw the basic shapes and contours of each loon pose on each cutout.
6. To begin the painting process, I mixed a "midnight blue" color for the loon's basic back and wing color and applied it to the backs and wings of all the loons.
8. Thursday, September 13, 2018
I painted fine detail on the 31 loons until mid-afternoon.
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BUTTERFLY FRIDGIES
Fridgies of four different butterfly species were recently completed at the studio. They were made with my very special Florida friends, Len & Lorna Parrow, in mind. Fridgies are a lot of fun to paint, and butterflies are especially enjoyable to paint because they are so intricate and beautiful.
1. Friday, August 31, 2018
I started these butterflies earlier this week, but forgot to put them on my website until now.
In this photo, they have been cut out on a bandsaw, sanded, drawn on, wood-burned, and all of their edges have been painted.
3. I just took this photo a few minutes ago, with the declining afternoon sun shining through the studio window to the left. All four butterfly species are coming along very well. In each painting session, the detail gets finer and finer.
5. Wednesday, September 5, 2018
They don't look very different in this photo than they did in last Friday's photo, but they are, in fact, much improved. I spent the entire day painting them, and should be able to finish them tomorrow.
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2. From left to right, the Tiger Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, Mourning Cloaks, and Buckeyes have been given their base coats of paint. The pattern I drew and cut out for each species is at the top of each column.
4. My wife Robin, my daughter Shannon, and I spent the time since last Friday using a powerful, rented wood-splitter to split the tons of hardwood in this photo.
6. This is a little Grey Treefrog who's been living in the flower box outside our kitchen window where he has been growing fat on the many insects attracted to the light coming from the kitchen each night.
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"Free Room and Board"
a Powertool carving of a Common Loon & Chick is now finished
and, through the generosity of its owner, Mrs. Patricia Simmons,
can be seen at the Paul Smith's VIC as part of the show --
“Conservation Through the Lives of Common Loons”, running through October 8.
Thank-you, Pat, for your patronage, friendship, and kindness.
a Powertool carving of a Common Loon & Chick is now finished
and, through the generosity of its owner, Mrs. Patricia Simmons,
can be seen at the Paul Smith's VIC as part of the show --
“Conservation Through the Lives of Common Loons”, running through October 8.
Thank-you, Pat, for your patronage, friendship, and kindness.
1. Monday, August 13, 2018
This was one of two 3/4-size loons I cut out some months ago. I finished the other one at that time. Now, it is time to finish this one. Today, I worked on its basic shape.
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2. Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Good progress was made today on the loon's head and beak, as well as other areas of Major Detail.
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3. Loons have a distinctively-shaped head and beak --- much more difficult to 'capture' in art than one might think.
5. Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Today, I really got inspired by a visit to L. Post Rustics in Ausable Forks! It was my privilege to meet the entire family. Every one of them is a master at what they do! What incredibly beautiful workmanship and art, combined! Seeing their amazing work made me eager to get busy on some of the finer detail carving on the loon.
7. Thursday, August 16, 2018
It was a very productive day in the studio. I did a lot of fine detail carving, sanding, wood-burning and texturing.
9. This photo gives a closer view of the tail, crossed primaries, and some of the wing feathers where they overlap due to the wings being folded in repose.
11. I traced an outline of the clay chick on posterboard, then cut it out and traced it on a piece of wood thick enough for the chick. Then I cut the wood out to the patterns dimensions. To shape the bottom of the cutout to fit the contours of the loon's back, I scribbled on a piece of paper and gradually removed any wood from the underside of the cutout that picked up any pencil marks as I pressed it in place.
13. Eventually, the chick 'hatched' and was taking good shape.
15. Saturday, August 18, 2018
My goal for today was to finish the chick and make a minnow.
Here, all of the preliminary work on the chick is done. Now, he's ready to be wood-burned. If you look closely you can see the dowel peg I inserted into the underside of the chick to position it exactly and firmly on the parent bird.
17. On August 14, we had a tractor-trailer load of hardwood logs dropped off at the cabin. The driver did an amazing job of backing the load into position.
19. I took a break in the afternoon from 1-5 and finished burning the loon's head. Then I burned his tail and primaries.
21. Thursday, August 23, 2018
This was a day of finishing things up. After a little more work on the loon, including more feather-texturing and sanding, the carving was ready to be painted.
Also, my 18-yr. old daughter Shannon and I finished cutting up the firewood logs, this afternoon.
23. The chick was given a base coat, too, though its color was similar to the 'burned' chick.
25. Friday, August 24, 2018
I spent quite a bit of time on the chick, today. Here, he's coming along.
27. I was able to make a good start on painting the spots on the loon's back.
29. Monday, August 28, 2018
The loon is nearly painted. This picture does not capture the beautiful iridescence on his neck and head.
31. Friday, August 31, 2018
Except for some very fine finishing details, "Free Room & Board" is completed! The end of another great project. Here the healthy loon chick, enjoying his free 'room', is eager for his next free meal.
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4. I love the graceful form of a loon --- from the tip of its strong dagger-like beak to the end of it's rounded tail, and all the curves and contours in between!
6. The perfection of design of every creature God has made never ceases to amaze me! Talk about a Master Artist!
8. The loon's head has more texture than it's back, breast, and wings. Here, the head as been "stoned" -- given a preliminary texture using an inverted cone on the Foredom powertool. I also used a flat tip set on a low heat on the wood-burner to lightly "iron" the entire surface of the bill, giving it as smooth a surface as possible. It may not be very noticeable, but the loon's bill is slightly open to receive the tiny minnow I plan to insert in it.
10. Friday, August 17, 2018
My goal for today was to make a loon chick to ride on the adult's back. First I made a rough, clay model. Here it is, on a piece of clear plastic to protect the wood from the clay's oils.
12. Using typhoon burrs, I began grinding away the excess wood.
14. By day's end, the little chick was sitting comfortably on Mama's back, eager for the minnow -- which I look forward to making tomorrow.
16. By 5:00 I was able to completely 'burn' the chick, make a tiny minnow, and 'burn' most of the adult loon's head and neck. This is the smallest minnow I've ever made, but it's the size I wanted for this project.
18. Each day since they arrived, I've been sawing the logs into firewood length. Today, Wednesday, August 22, 2018, the weather was perfect for working outdoors --- breezy and cool, so I worked on the log pile for three hours in the morning and a couple more hours in the evening.
20. I decided to "stone" some of the back feathers to give them a texture. I worked until 5:00, then went back to work on the woodpile. I expect to be able to finish the loon . . . and the woodpile . . . tomorrow.
22. The loon gets his base-coat of four colors: black, white, blue-black, and grey.
24. Shannon and I finished cutting up all the hardwood logs, this afternoon, except for those used as "stickers". We'll cut them up later, when they are more accessible.
26. The little minnow was given a base coat, today.
28. My work day ended with a very special treat: the arrival of my two sisters! Here, they are spending some quality time with their mother on our screened porch. L to R: Margaret, Mom, Valorie.
30. Only another hour or two are needed to complete the painting, and then the loon will be ready for its finishing spray coat and glosses.
Tomorrow is our 36th wedding anniversary, so "Free Room & Board" will have to wait until Wednesday to be finished.
32. Mamma Loon has a tasty little minnow in her beak and will soon give it to her growing chick.
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33. The final photo of a beautiful carving capturing a glimpse of a common, north-country scene.
Many more carving projects, from start to finish, can be viewed by clicking, below.