Creative Woodworks & crafts 1998-03, страница 42

Moose Antler Carver lake Schmidt

by Ivan Whitlock

Antlers and economics

Jake Schmidt has been drawing all of his life. As an underclassman, he was even excused from class to draw portraits of the seniors that were then presented to them on graduation. Once a senior art director at International Paper Company in Peoria, Illinois, Jake has, in his professional and private life, worked in a wide varieLy of art mediums—from painting murals to scrimshaw etching.

Looking for a carving medium similar to that of ivory, Jake came across a display of moose antler carvings in Wyoming and noticed that even fairly crude carvings were commanding high prices. This medium provides an advantage over ivory in that no animals arc hurt to supply the needed materials—moose annually drop their antlers. Jake reasoned that he could carve as well as the artists whose works he had seen and became determined to try it for himself.

Much of Jake Schmidt's work is based on western themes, as he feels most comfortable working with that subject matter. He now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a center of Native American arts and culture.

Jake buys his carving stock from Boy Scouts who earn money by picking up the dropped antlers and selling them to collectors. He considers antler carving to be a "pcrfcct medium," whereby he can take advantage of "nature's spectacular framing, dark rich colors and dramatically shaped antlers."

An exacting science

Jake studies each anller before beginning a carving. He then sketches out a design on paper to fit the unique shape of the antler. Jake continuously reworks the design until he is satisfied that it perfectly fits the space. Because cach antler is different, each work of ari is

unique. It is a great source of satisfaction to Jake that cadi ol' his works is an original.

Jake begins by clearing the dark outer layer from the area to be carved. Next, he traces the pattern onto the cleared space, making any necessary changes in pencil. Some of the open patterns call for sawing away the background,

Jake uses electric rotary tools fitted with carbide and dental burrs to do the actual carving. He uses coarse burrs to block out the basic shapes and moves lo finer burrs as he refines the forms and adds the detail. The dental burrs work especially well, he says, because they're designed Lo cut the same type of materia! as the anller. Jake creates a final smooth surface with jeweler's rouge and a buffer. Occasionally, there may be discoloration of the bone that interferes with a design. In that case, Jake carefully paints the spot to make it blend in with the ivory color of the rest or the piece.

Never stop learning

Through excellent draftsmanship, Jake is able to achieve splendid realism and drama. He is constantly observing. Even while he is relaxing—watching a western movie, for example—he finds himself studying the line anatomy and detail of the horses, which of course find their way into his work. A keen observer of nature, Jake is also very aware of movement. He captures the dynamic qualities of his subjects; horses galloping, gcesc in flight, an Indian hoop dancer in motion. Each antler carving tells its own story.

Because carving with such fine detail is an exacting task, Jake's production is limited. His works sell for from $3,000 to $4,000.

Fortunately for us, one of Jake's wild horse patterns is included in Full Size PaLtcrn Section No. 2.

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A keen observer of Southwestern culture and western themes, Jake Schmidt i& now a eought-after carver.

By combining the "perfect medium" with his stunning talent, Jake is able to create one-of-a-kind antler carvinge such as this bald eagle.