Our club president provided basswood blanks for members of SDWC to carve a blue bird as featured in the 2003 Spring issue of Woodcarving Illustrated. Pictured is a sample of the project completed by Arne Bortnem. The carving was done with a whittling knife and a few little gouges (no power tools). The eyes were carved with a #10, 4 mm, back bent gouge, painted black, and highlighted with clear fingernail polish. Left over copper house wire (14 and 12 ga.) was used to make the legs and feet. Wing and tail feathers were outlined with a small 90-degree V tool. A wood burner added the final detail to feathers.
