Category Archives: Lettering

Barefoot Shrink Pot

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Dave Fisher

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet. Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (1923) Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by the magical surface of a tree when the bark peels off cleanly in … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, Lettering, photography, quotes and excerpts, shrink box, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Back to Those Three Spoons

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Dave Fisher

In April, I wrote a post about riving three spoon blanks from branch crooks. I finally got around to carving the finished spoons. All were carved from black cherry. In the shot above, you can see the difference in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, nature, spoons, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Exterior Sign in White Oak: Finished

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Dave Fisher

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about carving this exterior sign in white oak. Since then, I’ve painted the leaves and letters, built and installed the cap, and finished it with exterior oil. Here’s a few shots from … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, paint, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 28 Comments

Bowl from a Plank: Part 2

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Dave Fisher

Back to the “bowl from a plank” that I started in this post a couple weeks ago. After preparing the blank and laying out the hollow and rim, I began to hollow the bowl. Remember, this plank was completely dry. … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, Lettering, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

For a Christmas Workbench

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I couldn’t help it. As a kid, when I was handed a Christmas package that seemed likely to contain clothing or some other uninteresting stuff, I couldn’t hide my disappointment. Packs of tube socks and underwear were politely acknowledged, then … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, Uncategorized | 16 Comments

My New Old Arkansas Stone

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Dave Fisher

A whetstone is no carving instrument, And yet it maketh sharp the carving tool; And if you see my efforts wrongly spent, Eschew that course and learn out of my school; For thus the wise may profit by the fool, … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, quotes and excerpts, sharpening, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Q-R-S-Tree-U-V

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I had wanted to carve an alphabet board for a long time, and I finally got around to it. The process began long before I took a knife to the basswood board above. I first put my thoughts onto paper … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 22 Comments

Lettering Inspiration From Long Ago

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I’ve been designing some new lettering projects, for myself to carve, but also with the idea of offering some lettering patterns for sale. As I sat drawing, my mind went back to a trip to Cleveland last month and the … Continue reading →

Posted in historical reference, Lettering, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Martin Wenham’s Letter Carving Book

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Dave Fisher

When I first encountered Martin Wenham’s work several years ago, it expanded my awareness of the wonderful possibilities that letter carving offers. Martin’s pieces are testaments to his attentive sensitivity to wood and language. Many of his works can be … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Lettering, Persons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Merging Shrink Pots

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Dave Fisher

The five-year-old said he loves his dad’s hugs and fly fishing together, so I came up with this pair of merging shrink pots carved with a line from Norman Maclean’s novella A River Runs Through It. The larger pot is … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, quotes and excerpts, shrink box, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments