Product Description
After the great success of Santa and His Friends, Tom Wolfe presents a group of traditional Santas that have been found in American Art, literature, and advertising since the 1860s and have a warm place in the imaginations of children and the memories of adults. With easy to follow, step-by-step instructions accompanied by full color photos, this is a great book for the beginning and intermediate carver. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great carving book!
I purchased this book about 8 years ago, and am just now getting around to actually doing the "primary" Santa depicted in it.
This is a great book for beginner to intermediate carvers.It's chock full of photos, and has the finished product depicted from several different angles......all at a great price, too!Buy this book! ... Read more

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House spirits are magical creatures who watch over homes and families. They come in all manner of shapes and sizes. With a keen eye, house spirits can be found almost anywhere in the wood and timbers throughout the home. Tom Wolfe shows you how to coax them out of their hiding places with power tools. Five patterns are included. Tom provides step-by-step instructions with over 230 color photographs. One project is carved to completion and patterns for two other spirits are included. These projects are a great learning experience for the beginner picking up power tools for the first time. They present the more advanced carvers with plenty of opportunities to stretch their creativity. No carver will see wooden objects around the house in the same way again. These projects will challenge the beginner and will fascinate the more advanced power carver. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Contents don't match the cover -
Lovely cover photo.But the piece that is carved step-by-step inside the book looks nothing like that. It's an ugly, gap-toothed face that I sure wound't want leering down at me from the wall. Tom Wolfe knows how to carve, it's true - I just wish he had illustrated inside the book the nice carvings that were on the cover. ... Read more

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Woodcarver Tom Wolfe has never been accused of depictng the rich and famous, at least not without his tongue in his cheek. He always sees the rough edges that make his miniature characters look human, and a little bit off-center. So it is with these angels. A little wrinkled and and a lot ugly, they are proof that God must have a sense of humor. Tom is a great teacher and takes the reader through each step of carving, finishing, and painting these angels, sharing the secrets he has learned over a rich and fruitful woodcarving career. Everything you need to know about making these angels is illustrated with a color photograph, and there are patterns to help you carve a whole band of them. This long-awaited book will be a welcomed addition to your woodcarving library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Walks the reader through the process of creating charming, folksy wooden angels with endearing elderly features

The 46th carving instructional book by one of the leading caricature woodcarvers in America, Carving Down-Home Angels with Tom Wolfe is a step-by-step guide that walks the reader through the process of creating charming, folksy wooden angels with endearing elderly features. Full color photographs on every page illustrate the process, and a bare minimum of text instructs the reader in the simple steps, from carving a block to painting minute details. The instructional process focuses on creating a single "down-home angel", but several examples of variations on the theme point the way to applying the general techniques to original creations. An excellent resource for woodcarvers seeking to train their figure carving talent or even handcraft Christmas gifts and decorations.
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This dramatic period in American history comes to life in the carvings of Tom Wolfe. Union and Confederate soldiers are featured with step-by-step illustrated instructions for carving. One figure is carved all the way through, and patterns are provided for others. ... Read more

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For over a hundred years the story of Alice and her adventures has enchanted children of all ages. One of those who has been captivated by its charm is Tom Wolfe, and now he brings the characters to life through his carving. And more he shares his fascination with his readers. While many illustrators have brought their own imagination to Lewis Carroll's characters over the years, Tom goes back to the drawings of Sir John Tenniel for his inspiration. Of course he adds his own interpretation, giving them a unique personality that Carroll would have appreciated. As usual, Tom leads the carver through the project with easy to follow, step-by-step instructions, illustrated in full color photographs. This is a great book for the beginner and intermediate carvers, but the patterns and guidance Tom provides will be valued by all. ... Read more

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Author of The Right Stuff and other journalistic writings in a literary vein and the novel Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe has been lauded and vilified by the critics for breaking down the barriers between fact and fiction, journalism and literature, and for his stylistic idiosyncrasies. Doug Shomette here collects from four to eight representative reviews and critical commentary on each of Wolfe's eleven major works. A judicious introduction summarizes these fifty-four pieces as well as other notable critical reactions not reprinted. Also included is a chronology of important events in Wolfe's career, a bibliography of additional readings, and an index. ... Read more

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Following the tremendous success of his first book, Tom Wolfe now offers his most popular wood-carving with step-by-step instructions. Tom attributes the popularity of his Pig Pickin' carving to nostalgia. This work harkens people back to a simpler time, when the hog harvest was a community event. Everyone shared in the festivities...and the food. Tom makes the directions clear and each step is illustrated with a photograph. Because the book starts with the bandsawing of the pattern and continues through the painting, even a novice should be able to complete the project. At the same time, the seasoned carver will benefit from Tom's technique and expertise, and everyone will enjoy Tom's anecdotes about country life. ... Read more

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Over 500 black-and-white photographs and illustrations present the techniques for carving hound dogs, raccoons, and a coon hunter as well as their surroundings. Color photographs show the complete painting process and the delight of the finished carvings. ... Read more

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Part Two Of Two Parts

Sherman McCoy is on the way to having it made. A red-hot young investment banker with a 14-room apartment in Manhattan, he splits in panic from a freak accident in the Bronx. But circumstances conspire against him, not to mention police, press, politicians and prosecutors.

"Wolfe's New York City is a city boiling with racial and ethnic hostilities, also burning with an itch to get it NOW. His gallery ranges from Wall Street, where people in their thirties feel like small fry if they're not yet making a million per, to the real streets, where the aim is lower but the itch just as virulent." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board) ... Read more

Product Description
Few things capture the charm of Christmas like the old-world Santa Claus. You might also know him as St. Nicholas or Father Christmas. What better way to say Merry Christmas to a friend or loved one than with one of these beautiful Santas you carved yourself. It is a timeless Christmas decoration that will be cherished for many years to come. Tom Wolfe guides the carver step-by-step through the carving, painting, and finishing of an old-world Santa. The basic figure will challenge the beginning carver, and there are plenty of fascinating details included for the more advanced. As always, Tom provides advice and techniques throughout the process that are useful for any carving project. A colorful gallery features several old-world Santa designs that will fuel your imagination and help you develop your own designs. Have fun and merry Christmas! ... Read more

Product Description
In his long and creative career as a woodcarver, Tom Wolfe has created literally thousands of patterns. Many of them have appeared in his previous books, but many more have not. Now Tom's creative energy and talent is available in a series of books containing his previously unpublished patterns. The first of these books contains a variety of animals from dragons to mice, and pigs to raccoons. In all, 108 of Tom's animals are presented for the use of woodcarvers around the country. This will be the source of many hours of fun and productivity for the woodcarver, resulting in some charming and delightful creations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

108 Animal patterns by Tom Wolfe
The book was in new condition. I was looking for a book of patterns that were more in depth than just simple line drawings. This would be a very good book for a beginning wood carver. ... Read more

Product Description
This glorious tribute to a contemporary master of humanist art covers his Vietnam Veterans Memorial Three Soldiers, National Cathedral Creation doors, and acrylic works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Modern Michaelangelo
Frederick Hart was a virtual Michaelangelo or Bernini in his sculptural representations of the human body.

The book gives as good an overview of Hart's art as one can get, short of actually seeing his works.

John Urquhart, MD
Palo Alto, CA

Frederick Hart, Sculptor
Good overview of Hart's work and career. Large format allows for great shots of his work.A valuable addition to an artist's or art lover's library.

Beautiful Art - Horrible Book Design!
This book contains beautiful photographs of Hart's sculpture and wonderful essays. The copy I ordered from Amazon arrived only yesterday, and after leafing through it, I was stunned by an egregiously poor design choice bythe publisher.

The full color photograph of "Ex Nihilo",perhaps Hart's most moving piece, is centered between 2 pages! Split downthe middle by the binding! How in the world can a fine art book publisherdo this ?Other art texts, National Geographic, even Playboy (for pity'ssake!) publish large format photographs using a fold-out leaf.Yes,fold-out leaves are more likely to become torn, or detached with use; butthe reader's enjoyment, not preservation concerns, should drive layout anddesign decisions.

I was also disappointed that no full color photos ofthe finished "Daughters of Odessa" were in the book. There arephotographs of studies, and a b&w photo in the catalog raisonne, butthe effect is not the same.

I probably will keep this book; but Icertainly won't be buying an art book from this publisher again! If I hadit to do over, I would check the book out from the library.

America's Rodin or Michaelangelo with photos of w.i.p.
Hart's West Facade of National Cathedral on the subject of Creation is the most famous piece of American scupture.("Liberty," after all, will always be French.)The name of this piece is "Ex Nihilo" --from nothing. The book has a wonderful photograph of "Ex Nihilo." Of course, our local rag The New York Times published a full magazine-pagecopy of this picture with left and right reversed and artificialgreen-tinted coloring.Typical New York always-in-a-hurry carelessness. ------The work itself is astonishing.Everything given, nothing heldback or calculated to please a critic.All driven by faith.A return towhat is meant by the term masterpiece.Hart's personal items and the itemsof religious expression are sampled with his own favorites.-----Enjoy ! This is a sweet book.

Comprehensive Overview of the World's Best Renowned Sculptor
This book offers readers a complete overview of the world's most well renowned sculptor.Frederick Hart, who passed away suddenly last month, August 1999, created such famous works as the "Three Soldier's BronzeSculpture in the Washington Public Gardens," "El Nihilo,"the three phase triangular scluptures over the entrance to the NationalCathederal, in Washington D.C.Maybe the most controversal sculpture Mr.Hart completed, "El Nihilo," was featured in the movie"Devil's Advocate" and was depicted in a lured, and distastfulmanner.The Hart Foundation sued the production company of "Devil'sAdvocate," with Al Pacino, the Hart Foundation won it's legal suit,and a disclaimer was placed on all Devil's Advocate's videos disclosing the"El Nihilo" sculpture was not used with The Hart's Foundationapproval. Frederick Hart also created and invented the art technology of"double embedded lucite sculpture."This process involvedcreating a three dimensional free form floating sculpture"floating" within the lucite sculpture itself.Anyone who hasever viewed one of Mr. Hart's three dimensional sculpture's, know theincredible beauty and art that lay within his limited production ofsculptures.The book can not honestly show the amazing detail of the"three dimensional double imbedded process" that Mr. Hartcreated. He and his work will be forever remembered as the finest bronzeand lucite sculptor in the world to date.This book is a tribute to hismaster creations, depiction of his artwork, and ultimately a trulyinspirational attestment to one of the world's greatest artists of alltime. ... Read more

Product Description
Tom Wolfe takes his creative talent to the National Game: Baseball. With easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. Tom helps the carver bring the classic ballplayer out of a block of wood. Each cut is illustrated with a full-color photograph, an important visual aid to learning this fun craft. These projects are exciting and challenging, but with Tom's guidance even the novice carver will find they have the ability to bring them to successful completion. ... Read more

Product Description
Tom Wolfe returns to an old friend of his, Santa Claus. In his own special way he leads the carver through each step of the carving process. The result is a traditional Santa in stride, heading for the reindeer pen to hook up for the Christmas flight. He is accompanied by old Rudolph, who looks a bit bewildered by the night that lies ahead. Every step, from the blank to the painted Santa, is documented with a color photograph and a clear instruction. Patterns are provided for the project, the reindeer, and several other interesting Santas. A gallery of the other Santas is included for reference to the other possibilities. This is a book for all to enjoy and learn from! ... Read more

Product Description
The idea for the cane in this book came from the authors good friend and fellow carver Claude Bolton. Both belong to the Caricature Carvers of America, and the group was looking for some way to honor a friend and supporter. Claude hit upon the idea of a cane made up of many segments to be carved by various members. In addition to Tom and Claude they include: Jack Price; Peter Ortel; Steve Prescott; Harley Schmitzen; Rich Wetherbee; Bob Travis; Dave Dunham; Dave Stetson; Keith Morrill; Joe Wannamaker; Tex Haase; Doug Raine; Marv Kaisersatt; Dave Rasmussen; Harley Refsal; Harold Enlow; Claude Bolton; Gary Batte; Desiree Hajny; Pete LeClair; and Randy Landen. In the gallery of this book you will see the results of their enormous talents. Tom Wolfe takes the reader through the process of creating a four-face segment for a cane. What you learn there can be applied to any of your caricature carving or can be used to create your own friendship cane, by yourself or in your carving club. The cane you create will be a true token of friendship and will be cherished for many years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very good guide for the neophite wood hacker.
I liked this book. The quality of color and pictures guide you thru reasonable steps in making a wood face carving using a minimum of wood.Most books jump over steps and leave the reader wondering what should havebeen done in between.I have other of T Wolfes books and this is a betterone in my opinion.A feature I would also like to see in his /any carvingbook would be more commentary on the use of 'grain' and how to get aroundthe rough cuts that always deter from making a smooth carve. ... Read more

Product Description
Bottle spirits swirl around in bottles of all kinds. Sometimes they glimmer in the glass. You can always hear them if a breeze or your breath passes over the top of the bottle. But it's not too often that they show their faces. So how do you know at first glance whats really inside a bottle? Once you decide what kind of spirits are living in your bottles, Tom Wolfe will set you to work carving charming faces to match. Using small pieces of scrap wood, basic carving tools and paint, and not much time, Tom guides the reader through the carving of a rebel soldier, a viking, and a laughing imp. The finished carvings could be hung around a bottle, a neck, on a Christmas tree, or anywhere else that could use a little personality! More than 200 color photos paired with step-by-step instructions demonstrate the process, and a full-color gallery of 20 different carved bottle spirits that would stimulate anyone's imagination. Ideal for both the novice or more experienced carver, this book explores Tom's basic approach to carving a face and the countless possibilities, simple or intricate, that follow. ... Read more

Product Description
A single volume contains two New York Times best-sellers by a popular contemporary author, The Right Stuff and Bonfire of the Vanities, both of which have been made into major motion pictures. ... Read more