Free Spirit Totem (White Pine, painted)

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"A year or so later I bought a book called Ben Hunt’s Whittling Book for a couple of dollars (today on eBay the book is listed at $85). The book showed how to carve lots of things, including the Pack Mule. The mule looked interesting so I decided to try it, using basswood. It turned out pretty well, so I made four others out of basswood and then a fifth larger one out of mahogany. I tried other ideas shown in the book, resulting in the pieces titled Moose, Neckerchief Slide, Ducks, Cormorant, Loon, and Mexican Ox-Cart (I made two each of these last two)."











"I also created several pieces from my own imagination, using Ben Hunt’s techniques. The pieces titled Lady’s Head, Thin Man, Peasant Woman, Totem Pole, Little Old Man, Flamingo, Saw-whet Owl, and Zan/Ted Sweetheart pin were carved all from my head (and there’s still some wood left over)."

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