Creative Woodworks & crafts 1998-07, страница 16
Meet our In tarsia Editor.; Robert J. Hlavacek, Sr., in his own words: All About The flu, four years, and a freebie My wiring career began in early 1991 as a result of the flu. Being too sick to cut wood, I wrote ray first how-to article. I sent it off to The Woodworker's Journal expecting to never hear from them. To my utter surprise, they called and asked me to submit two projects, and a new career was launched. In 1992, our intarsia pattern business began with eight little "Cut 'n Carve" Basswood Hound puppy projects. Cut 'n Carve is similar to segmentation, the exception being that there is more freehand shaping and contouring with the Cut 'n Carve method. Put another- way. Cut 'n Carve is like power carving with a drill press and sanding drums A carving knife or Drem el tool will also do the job. The Basswood Hounds were made from 1-1/2"-thick basswood and could sit on a shelf, be hung on a wall, or be turned into a mini clock or desk set. Best of all, they were fun to make and sold well at craft shows. Cut 'n Carve gives the novice an opportunity to develop basic cutting, fitting, and contouring skills, while easily creating a nice-looking project. Four years later, in June of 1996, a magazine arrived on my doorstep—one that I had never seen before. As i looked through it, 1 was delighted to see that it wasn't just another run of the mill woodworking magazine—since I had already buill a house full of furniture, we didn't need any more. The magazine was Creative Woodworks & Crafts, and it appeared to be the perfect place to advertise the intarsia patterns that I had been working on for the past few years. I rang them up, and the rest, as they say, is history. This is just the beginning That free magazine resulted in our business reaching a major Lurning point, and a creative good time to boot. Since becoming the Intarsia Editor eighteen months ago, I've written more articles than I bad in the past four years, and we're just getting started. I've gotten a kick out of building a business out of something that has been so much fun to do. If everyone could build their career around something they enjoy as much as 1 enjoy intarsia pattern making and writing, this world would he a happier place. And as more and more woodworkers discover Creative Woodworks & Crafts, that hole in the ozone layer could be filled by a cloud of sawdust from happy crafters! Over the years, it's been gratifying to gel calls and letters from people the world over saying how much they've enjoyed making our designs and thanking me for sharing them. The photos they've sent showing how they've done it their own way tells me that my message is getting across. My motto is "Your imagination is your most valuable tool—use it often and don't let it get rusty." That's the key to being creative. When working with an art form new to you, do your own thing. Just because you don't have access to certain types of wood doesn't mean that you can't make a project. Some of the photos I've received show projects made entirely out of stained or painted pine. The results were excellent! From what I've read, intarsia has been around for centuries, incorporating all forms of media. So since it's art. any way that you create your project is okay, just have fan doing it. A mail order taxidermy course taken some thirty-five years ago had a big influence on the style of Wildlife Intarsia Designs. Striving Robert Hlavacek's intarsia is an Important part of Creative Woodworks & for a lifelike appearancc, at times I'll Crafts. Here are two pieces which have been featured on the cover: use taxidermy glass eyes in a project. I also try for realistic coloration of subjects by using thinned acrylic paint to stain the wood, thus letting the grain show through. Recently, I've been experimenting with the Visions AirPainting System and have been having very good results. Putting it all together From the beginning, we realized it was necessary to include a color "Cougar," August 19C? "Hungry Bass Weather Station, April 1998 |
