Carving Progress -- Slow

Center Motif

     Well, I'm thinking the center motif is done and I really need to step away from it and let it alone.  The part that appeals to me the most is the curl at the top which actually seems to be the leaf just growing and curling towards the front of the plant.  When I look at good carvings the strokes are made with one or two, continuous and confident pass.  Oh boy is that ever a challenge!
     Unlike clay, which you can smash up and re-form, wood doesn't give you that pleasure.  Once it's cut you either have it or you don't.  I'm learning that the more you mess with it it generally goes from bad to worse.  Need to bear in mind that this will be at the top of the cabinets so not open for close-up scrutiny.  We've put it up in it's eventual home and Diane has planted the seed to paint it the same white color as the cabinets.  At first I was appalled -- what, paint wood but the more we talked about it the more it seems like a good option. First off, the wood is nothing spectacular (Basswood) by painting it the light should play off of the carving more.  That's her expertise, the visual aspect of what happens to things.  Another plus is then I could apply a little bit of filler to those areas I gouged too deeply.  An example of that is at the upper left of this carve.
     Have I mentioned things are going slowly --- perseverance, Rome wasn't built in a day, if it was easy everyone would do it, etc.  All of the things I used to tell my students when they were struggling with their work I'm now telling myself!