This custom carved kitchen sign now resides in my mother’s kitchen. I was asked to tile her backsplash around her counters. After completing this she made a comment, “Now I will have to see what I can do to come up with a new sign to go over my sink.” My dad over heard her say this. He went outside and called to me. When I reached him, he had a hickory board which matched mom’s kitchen cabinets. The edges had already been put through the router to form the edge. He said to me, “well there you to.” Of course I knew what he was referring to.

I custom carved the words into the sign first. Then carved the leaves. If you have not carved hickory before, I’m here to tell you it isn’t easy. Hickory wood is as hard as Oak. Some would say it is harder. After carving/sculpting the leaves into the sign. I inlayed the ivory. Then hand painted the leaves to match mom’s kitchen decor.

Christmas day came and she received her sign. She loved it. She made dad go right home and hang it up for her. Guess that will teach him to give me a board to carve. Thanks dad for giving me this opportunity to create something special for my mother. I hope everyone else likes the sign too. Happy Carving, Deb

You are invited to the second ever art rodeo held in Heber City, UT.  The Western Art Rodeo Association, W.A.R.A. is being held along with the Cowboy Poetry. Western Art Rodeo Association’s Fall Shoot Out is being held this weekend November 3 – 5, 2011!  I’m sure you are wondering what this means. Let me explain, have you ever watched the Pro Rodeo? They have rounds of competition. If you are among the top 3 contestants you advance to the final round or championship round to determine the winner.

Well, the W.A.R.A. is based on this concept. There are two rounds to determine the winners that will go on to the championship round. We use the top 4 winners from each round. These 4 winners move on to the champion ship round. During the final round (or championship round) the winners of the first two rounds take the scores they earned from the first two rounds. Then they compete with their final piece of art for their final scores. This is then added to the other two scores separately, (example: In round one I show an art piece I created. I win round one with a score of 86. In round two I take 2nd place with a score of 78. I move onto the championship round with both of my pieces. I get to use the scores from both of my first and second rounds but they are judged individually. After judging my final piece in the championship round and receiving a score of 87. This score is then added to both my first place and my second place exhibits separately. This gives me a total of 173 for my first place piece from round one.

Round 1 =  86

Championship =  87

Total                      173

Then the score is added to my second place exhibit giving me a score of 165). Who ever has the highest combined score of the rodeo wins the competition!

Round 2 =  78

Championship =  87

Total                     165

So, there is a chance one person can win first and second place of the Western Art Rodeo Association’s Fall Shoot Out for 2011.

I hope you will consider coming to watch the competition and to see all the art exhibits. Not to mention listening to the Cowboy Poetry. The W.A.R.A.’s first ever event was held last April at the Sundance Resort, Utah. It was a fantastic event. Over a hundred pieces of art was judged. There where people from all over the country there. Artists from the east coast as well as the west coast was in attendance. The art that was on display was breath taking to say the least. The only way to describe the art is to tell you to come and view it yourselves. There are also demonstration’s and classes designed to help you learn what art is about and how to judge a quality piece for yourself. You can see how many of the pieces of art are made or join in a discussion with the artist on how he/she came up with the idea to create their pieces of art. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to see and talk to some the world’s master artists. There will be oil paintings, water color paintings, bronze sculptures, wood carvings, sculptures, egg sculptures, gourd carvings to mention just a few types of art that will be on display. Come talk to the artists, watch the competition. Be a part of a growing art association!

The doors open at 5:00 -m 9:00 pm Thursday night for the general public. Friday morning doors open at 10:00am and go to 9:00 pm for the general public. The first round of competition will start on Friday at 5:00 pm. Second round will be Saturday at 1:00pm with the championship round is on Saturday at 5:30 pm. Doors close at 9:00 pm Saturday. You can purchase advanced tickets at http://westernartrodeoassociation.com/upcoming-events/tickets for the W.A.R.A.’s Fall Shoot Out. Tickets for the Cowboy Poetry can be purchased at: https://www.ezticketlive.com/checkout/event_view/asp?id=28.

I hope you will all come and visit with me. I am signed up for the competition. It would be great to see you all there and have your rout for me!!!! The audience is encouraged to participate in the judging. See everyone there!!! Deb

L to R: Deb Lindsay’s, Doris’ & Jane’s

L to R: Deb Lindsay (Me), Doris & Jane

 L to R: Craig Hone, Doris, Jane, Jeff Wolf & Deb Lindsay (Me)

The class was a total blast! One I would recommend to anyone wanting to learn to sculpt or carve. As you can see by the pictures, we very fortunate to be taught by one of the best, internationally renowned master wood carver, Craig Hone and internationally renowned bronze sculptor, Jeff Wolf. These two men are the world’s best teachers, very patient and knowledgeable not to mention friendly! I look forward to taking more classes from them in the future. Thanks Craig and Jeff for a wonderful and educational experience.

This weekend is the International Sporting Arms gun show in Las Vegas Nevada. It is being held at the Riviera Hotel. This gun show is being sponsored by the NRA. The International Sporting Arms gun show is one of the largest gun shows in the nation. The show will be held January 14th through the 16th. There will be every type of gun imaginable there. Not to mention the gun collectors. I will have some of the guns I have custom carved/engraved there.

This year I will be attending the show as a vendor. At my booth you will be able to see the custom carved/engraved gun stocks I have completed. Each gun has been custom designed and sculpted, then hand painted to enhance the detail. There will be custom carved gun stocks, display cases, wall sculptures and ivory inlays for my clients to view. The guns have many different patterns on them, such as, basket weave, sculpted leaves, and hand painted art,  to name a few. There will also be a few gun there that I have repaired.

I hope everyone will have a chance to come by and see the designs and sculptures. I look forward to meeting and visiting with each of you while you are there. See you at the gun show! Deb

Happy New Years everyone!!! I sure hope everyone has enjoyed this holiday season. Today I have been thinking about the goals I would like to accomplish with my custom carved gun stocks this year. In doing so, it has given me a chance to looked back on the goals I have accomplished last year. It still amazes me how many goals I was accomplished. So, for this reason I am going to set goals for my custom carving even higher this year. The first one is to attend 3 major gun shows within this year.

I am scheduled to be a vendor at the upcoming Las Vegas Antique Arms Show™International Sporting Arms Show™ Invitational Knifemakers Showing™ in Las Vegas NV. The show will be held at the Riviera Hotel on January 14th thru January 16th, 2011. The show is being sponsored by the NRA (National Rifle Association). I will be there with several of the guns I have listed here on my web site. Some of the other guns being displaying have been borrowed from my customers who love to show them off. This Las Vegas Antique Arms Show™ International Sporting Arms Show™ Invitational Knifemakers Show™ should prove to be the best of the year. I am looking forward to meeting many new people.

Gun collectors and enthusis’ alike will be there. As I’m sure you know by  now, my gun stocks are all hand carved/engraved and hand painted. Each design has first been molded into clay then many practice pieces are carved/engraved before I start on the final piece. This process helps me to insure the custom carving will look exactly like it should on each gun stock. Customers who have purchased wood sculpting/carving/engraving from me in the past are simply amazed at the detail and clarity each piece has. Come to the gun show and judge for yourself. Then you can see why everyone who looks at the pictures on my web site all say “the pictures do not do justice to the art on the guns.” Wouldn’t you like to hand down your guns from generations to generation?

If you have the chance to come to the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show™International Sporting Arms Show™ Invitational Knifemakers Show™, please look me up. I would really enjoy meeting you and placing your name on my waiting. Then you will also have bragging rights and can show everyone your own custom carved gun stock.

Happy New Year to all, Deb

I have been asked many time why I chose to carve or engrave gun stocks? Instead of carving eggs, gourds, engrave on glass, etc. Well, my husband is an avid hunter. He loves guns and has aquired quite a collection. We usually go to the gun shows that are in the Salt Lake valley. One time, as we where getting out of our truck, he said to me: “Its your turn to buy something. What do you want? What kind of gun do you want to buy?” I told him, “I didn’t know.” I would look for something while where in the gun show. When we entered the gun show, I heard the wine of a dental drill. At least that is what I thought I heard. We went to that booth to see what it was. Sure enough it was a high speed pen that used dental bits. Called the Paragrave. I was allowed to try the tool. I  immediately fell in love with it. We wondered around the show for about another two hours. Came back to that same booth and purchased the tool.

Since that time I have tried my hand at engraving rocks, tile, eggs, glass, mirrors, metal and everything else I could get my hands on. In February 2009, I went to my first carving class with Dr. Lew Jensen, inventor of the Paragrave high speed pen. Again, we carved all kinds of differnet materials. Out of them all I have found I enjoy carving or sculpting wood. It is the medium I have found gives me the more enjoyment and the most challengs.

Then I asked Allen to allow me to carve on one of his guns. You can imagine what he said to that. He believed I could carve the guns. He just didn’t want me to begin on one of his guns. His collectors guns!!! NO WAY! So, he went to the local pawn shop and purchased me a Marlin 30-30 with a stainless steel barrel. The first carving I ever completed was a grizzle bear. After finishing the grizzle bear he wanted it. I told him NO. He purchased it for me and I was going to sell the gun. Now he wished he would have allowed me to carve on one of his guns. Reason being, I am quite busy now and of course his guns are the last ones on my list…

I enjoy creating custom gun stocks. Carving beautiful works of art to be handed down from generations to generations. Watching the expression of a gun owner see their prize possession again for the first time, is a real treat to me. They can not quit looking at the gun. You see, I not only carve the gun stock, I paint the sceen too. If it is necessary I will also sand the stock down and refinish it. Making the gun almost brand new again. The sky’s the limit almost.

Thanks for asking this question. I have enjoyed answering it. If you have a question about sculpting wood. Please ask your question below. I enjoy hearing from you. Deb L

It has come to my attention I have never explained what relief carving is or the different types. So, I thought I would do my best to explain this to you. Here goes…

There are actually several types of carvings. The type of carving I use is called full relief carving. This means I have a smooth piece of wood, like a gun stock, that I carve part of the wood away. The end result is the place where the picture is and there is no part of the original gun stock left in the area of the picture. In other words, the front side of a picture in 3D. There is 2D carving, or semi relief carving, which is a carving you would get if you left part of the original wood in the picture. You usually will see this from carving which has been completed by a laser. You do not get much shaping, (deminsion) to your picture/carving. There is also full round carving. This would be when you take a block of wood (say 4 inch by 4 inch) and carve the entire animal or object out of the wood. Like carving the complete elk, legs and all. Like the status of animals, etc. Here are a few of examples.

(Full Relief Carving)

As you can see this gun stock of a moose. I have used the full relief carving method to carve this gun stock. There is nothing left of the original gun stock in the picture. There is, however, the original gunstock outside the design.

(Semi Relief Carving)

Yet on the wood carving of the horses head, (shown above), there is still part of the original plate left in the main picture design. This is knows as semi relief carving.

(Full Round Carving) – ( This carving is a Craig Hone original)

With full round carving, (shown in the picture above) there is nothing left of the original outside portion of wood. The difference is you have all sides carved with the full round carving, only one half of a carving is left with the full relieve carving method, and with the semi relief method you still have part of the original wood in the picture.

After I have carved my design, I sand the project. Then I hand paint each carving. To me this helps to define the carving even more and it helps to bring the carving to life.

I hope this helps you to understand the types of carvings as well as just how unique each type of carving is. If you have any questions about this or have a question about something I have talked about on one of my posts. Please feel free to ask me in the comments below. I would be happy to explain it to you. If I don’t know something I will find out for you and let you know.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments and feed back. Have a wonderful summer! Deb L

The gun stock carving article listed below was in the Uintah Basin Standard newspaper in the Basin Life section. It is an article on me and how I do my carvings. As well as how I got started in this business. The article came out on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. I have included it here in its entirety so everyone can enjoy reading it.

Your comments are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to leaving them below. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family to have a look too. Thanks again, Deb Lindsay

Boneta artist’s creativity spans from guns to glass

By Cheryl Mecham, Uintah Basin Standard

The first carving Deb Lindsay took to a gun show happened to be on a stock for a sub-machine gun. She didn’t know that until a security man stopped her just inside the front doors.

“He said ‘I’ve gotta check that gun,’” she recalled with a laugh. “He didn’t know that there wasn’t a gun attached, it was just the stock.”

Lindsay explained her mistake. She’d ordered a few gunstocks from a website.

“They were about the right size and they were cheap. I didn’t know what they were,” she confessed, her laughter filling the kitchen of the home she shares with her husband, Allen.

Her rhinestone cowgirl belt and jeans say she’s country. Warm hazel eyes and a quick smile say she’s hospitable. When the conversation turns to art, a visitor finds out Lindsay is knowledgeable and passionate about whatever she sets her hand to. Currently that is carving.

Lindsay uses a unique handheld rotary tool called a Paragrave, which slices through wood and other materials at 1 million rpm. The tool was developed by Lew Jensen, a retired Vernal dentist.

Since trying her hand at gunstocks for a relatively short time, her daily practice and subsequent success resulted in top honors: best of show at the Duchesne County Fair and a first place and best of show in the professional division at the Utah State Fair. Lindsay was home in Boneta, crafting another gunstock, when she got the call about her ribbons from fellow carvers in Salt Lake City.

“All I knew was that I had done a good job,” she said with a shrug, explaining that she didn’t really understand that her carving had taken the show for a couple of minutes.

When she realized what her friends were so excited about she said her sense of satisfaction skyrocketed to exhilaration. Lindsay said the same feelings occur after she has put the final sealant over her designs – her last stroke of artistry – before handing it back to the owner.

“It’s a mixture of relief and exhilaration. I think, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the best work I’ve ever done,’” she said. “Then the next one comes along.”

Lindsay has confidence in her artistic ability, but strives for perfection in whatever she undertakes, which has made her a life-long student. She has taken classes from Jensen and is currently being tutored by Keith Hone of the Hone Studio near Spanish Fork, Utah.

Oddly, for a woman who declares that she “hates to hunt,” Lindsay finds the irony of carving gunstocks amusing. But those who see her work are lining up for a custom carved stock of their own. Like John Lyda, owner of J&P Saddle in Ballard, who has commissioned a custom carving in memory of his late wife, Pauly, on the stock of his late wife’s gun.

Lindsay has learned that no one readily parts with a gun.

“Men are very proud of their guns. They’re an extension of the person who owns them,” she explained, adding, “When I am entrusted with one, I feel it’s a privilege. Some are handed down in families for hundreds of years.”

The inspiration for each design comes long before the actual carving. Lindsay confessed that her mind must be in a relaxed state in order to be creative, which is usually after she has gone to bed. “I lay awake at night I do my best designing,” she said.

To fortify her imagination, Lindsay and her husband take weekend trips to the Uinta Mountains in a vehicle they call their “Army jeep car,” a Polaris ATV with a cab. While they explore, her camera is snapping photos of the landscapes and, if she’s lucky, the wildlife who call the mountain their home.

With an image in her mind, her fingers itch to sketch it out. Once it’s down on paper Lindsay searches the Internet for a photo of the object she wants. She uses the photo as a realistic cross reference.

When she gets her paper design just right, Lindsay carves the figures in clay. This ensures that she’ll be able to make it fit on the gunstock. It also tells her how many layers she’ll have to carve into the wood.

Once she’s satisfied with the clay carving she begins carving in wood, typically alder that she buys as a plank and cuts stock-sized lengths. Lindsay may practice a dozen or more times on a design before she actually sinks her tool into a gun stock. She does her work in a re-purposed shipping container complete with a wide window and steel door. Inside an air system removes sawdust while air conditioners keep the building cool as she works.

“I have to get the nerve up before I can cut into that nice high-gloss finish,” she admitted.

If her unique wildlife carvings don’t set her apart on their own, it’s the next step that makes it a Deb Lindsay design — she often oil paints the intricate image. The result is breathtaking.

It’s critical that a carver knows what type of wood they’re working, Lindsay said.

“Most gunstocks are walnut, which is a hardwood,” she said. “There are other woods out there in gunstocks, tiger wood. It’s an exotic. There are a lot of exotics. The harder the wood, the easier it is to carve.”

Her natural love for wood has also led Lindsay into gunstock restoration. She will completely sand old finishes and light scratches out of the stock. If there are deep scratches and marks, she works them into the design until they are no longer visible. Other restoration work, such as work on the barrel or mechanics, must be done by a gunsmith, she said.

Although carving gunstocks is her current passion, it follows a steady flow of artistic pursuits. Lindsay began with knitting and confessed, “it didn’t go fast enough.” Then she began crocheting and took on intricate projects until she was creating elaborate historical ball gowns for dolls. Then in the early ’80s she discovered tole painting and created piece after piece, most of which she’s given away. Then oil painting landscapes and wildlife and then her interest fell from the canvas to mural painting.

Lindsay said she found videos or instructors to help with each step in her artistic endeavors, even if it meant traveling great distances for training. She kept learning and challenging herself artistically and finally she tried her hand at a childhood fascination — the art of glass blowing.

She gathered equipment and bought training DVDs by a glass sculptor who worked for Walt Disney. When she learned the artist on the DVDs lived in Idaho, she called his studio and asked if he was still teaching. His wife told Lindsay that depended on how serious she was. Lindsay assured the woman that she was serious.

“It was one of the most marvelous experiences I could have ever had.” Lindsay said, adding that after a few classes her new instructor told her she was a natural.

“He said, ‘Now go home, practice, and do,’” Lindsay recalled.

Part of Lindsay’s shop is filled with glass rod, equipment and a kiln. She has completed numerous glass art projects which can be viewed on her website, deblindsaystudios.com, along with the Ostrich eggs she carved when she first learned to use the Paragrave carving tool. One of those egg carvings took first place at the Duchesne County Fair.

Each artistic endeavor has built Lindsay’s experience and her confidence. Her diligent work in each medium has pushed her on to the next. What is next? She smiled and her eyes lit up.

“I don’t know,” she said.

Thank you!!!

This last year has been a very special time for me. I have made many wonderful friends. For this reason, I would like to express my appreciation to all of you. You have helped me and inspiried me to step out of my comfort zone. First, I would like to thank YOU my clients for your support, kind words of encourgement, and for purchasing my art. It means a great deal to me to know my work is so highly appreciated. Secondly, I would like to thank all the teachers who have helped me understand how to use the Paragrave tool. Dr. Lew Jensen, Tamaree Littlefield, Keith Hone, Craig Hone, Darwin Dower, and Jeff Wolfe just to mention a few. All of you have given me encourgement and insight. Not to mention the knowledge of anatomy sculpting, wood carving, gunstock carving, leaf carving or answering stupid questions. The art I carve on the gunstocks and wood carvings would not be possible without your help. And last, my husband Allen, for your love and support, and for giving me the ultimate opportunity to express my creativity.

It is not easy to step out of your comfort zone and express your inner thoughts and desires. Or to carve the images you have floating around in your mind. Thus creating wonderful wood carving or sculpture. Normally, I would have made something I thought was nice. Then given it away as a gift. All the while hoping the recepient would enjoy it just a little. Today, I know my art is appreciated. By the over whelming response I received on a daily basis from you – my clients, friends, family, and teachers.

Thank you just doesn’t seem enough to express my deep appreciation. Still, that is all I can do for now.

THANK YOU! I am truly grateful! Deb

On a side note, this year is proving to be even more wonderful then the last. I am scheduled to go to a gun show in September. I will be at the South Town Expo Center on Sept. 25 & 26, 2010. Please come by and say hello. I would love meeting you in person!

Update March 7, 2010: I have had a hard time finishing this gun. The burs I use have been back ordered for the past three weeks.  Pictures will be put on here either Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for waiting so patiently!

 Today I have started another gun. It is a Ruger .243 Model M77. This Ruger gunstock carving has been inspired after finding a mount from a taxidermist. It is of a mountain lion attacking a mule deer. The image that formed in my mind helped me develop this custom carving on this gunstock. (Pictures will be forth coming). To bring some of the old west into this century has been a wonderful experience. This gun has been carved and painted to show the detail even more.

Just a little history of the M77 Ruger rifles. They where first produced in 1968.

Design details

From the beginning, the Ruger M77 was intended as a modernized Mauser 98, though numerous changes were made. Bill Ruger wanted to use investment casting in place of a forged receiver. The Sullivan-designed bolt dispensed with controlled-round feeding and instead used the simpler plunger style of ejector. A two-position tang safety and redesigned trigger system were also designed from scratch.

Perhaps the most novel feature of the M77 is the only one that has not been redesigned, the angled action screw. The front action screw of traditional bolt-action rifles draws the receiver directly down against the stock. The M77 uses an angled screw that draws the action down and to the rear, tightly bedding it against the stock.

Variants

The M77 has undergone one minor and two major redesigns. The first change involved incorporating a proprietary scope mount milled integral with the receiver. The first rifles had simple rounded-top receivers drilled and tapped for separate scope mounts.

M77 Mark II

The M77 was retooled almost entirely and reintroduced in 1991 as the Mark II. The safety, bolt, and trigger were completely redesigned. The claw extractor was retained, but the bolt face was opened up to allow controlled-round feeding. The plunger ejector was replaced with a Mauser style blade ejector. Finally, a three-position safety allowed the bolt to be operated while the gun was still on safe, making unloading of the rifle less hazardous. Ruger also eliminated the adjustable trigger that came stock on the original M77.

Hawkeye

In 2006, Ruger introduced new features and a new name for their rifle, the Hawkeye. Major changes were made to the trigger system and the stock was recontoured, but otherwise the rifle remained unchanged.^{[citation needed]} The LC6 trigger addressed complaints from consumers that the Mark II trigger, though safer than the earlier one, was poorly designed for accurate shooting.^{[citation needed]} The LC6 trigger is lighter and smoother. Despite the listed improvements of the LC-6 trigger there still seems to be nagging complaints about it