To whittle is to cut, shave, or trim a piece of wood by carving off bits with a knife. Taylor Wright Rushing, STUDIO Artist-in-Residence, has years of personal and professional experience with whittling and carving. He designed the step-by-step zine and filmed a quick video to show how to whittle a critter. This is a great project for families to do together.
What you will need
For whittling with wood: A piece of pre-milled basswood and a carving knife
For whittling with carving foam: carving foam or a piece of pink insulation foam and a corrugated cardboard cutter (a good option for beginners)
For whittling with soap: a bar of soap and any tool you find that is sharp enough to cut off pieces (a good option for beginners)
If this is your first time carving, be patient with yourself. You are learning! We suggest having back up supplies of wood, carving foam, or soap in case you need to start again… or if you enjoy whittling so much you want to make another.
Download Rushing’s guide to whittling a critter and visit How-To Zine Library to learn how to fold it in to a book.
Rushing’s residency brings life to Good Road to Follow, JMKAC’s exhibition featuring Green Bay artist Adolph Vandertie (1911-2007). In addition to whittling and carving his own works, Vandertie collected art from the hobos and tramps whose transient lives he admired and romanticized.