An Exciting new project--for me--a Dragster!!!

A lady from the Cleveland area had me woodburn this one for her husband.

I have done a number of cars and trucks through the years, but this is my first dragster.

Hey, Don. Looks great!
- David

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Here are three newer projects:

These are, from left, an Eagle head on a plate (a new idea for me), a special sign for Tom's shed, and a sign for an Outfitter group from West Virginia, that take parties to Northern Idaho.

I have just been given quite an honor and some nice recognition, having been selected as the "Featured Member" of the Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild!  To see what they are saying about me and my work, check our www.oacg.org

 

A couple recent projects--for people who visited us at one of the shows this fall:

The first one is a couple of cats--Sydney and Taz

The image to the left is what I burned--the image to the right is the picture I used.

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A special project for a special lady from Michigan

That is the sign, now here it is with me:

Apologies for being in another picture, but that seems the only way to give a true perspective regarding size.  The sign is just over four feet long and about ten inches or so wide.  It is for a special room in her house.

 

Here are two versions of the same dog, an akita.  On the left is when he was a little furr ball, a pup.  The one to the right is what he looks like today, a full-grown akita. His name is Ollie.

 

"Ollie"

This project is kind of a sad one.  The dog in question, again an akita, is deceased.  However, his owners had him creamated, and sent me a wooden box, upon which to burn his image, and his name, Musashi.  This is where they intend to keep Musashi's ashes.

 

 

A big, "hot" deal for me!!!

For those of you familiar with Northeast Ohio, you know that Dick Goddard is the dean of weather people in this part of the country.  You know that he sponsors the "Wooley Bear Festival" every September, and is an avid advocate for "four legged critters, especially dogs and cats.  Recently we had the privilege of meeting him at a dog show, where our booths were close to each other.  We talked several times, and he agreed to let me "burn" two of his dogs.  Today, we had the privilege of taking the completed burning to him at the Channel 8 Station in Cleveland.  Pictured below on the left is the burning, and to the right are Dick and I holding the picture.

 

Here are three recent projects:  a sign for a business here in Dalton, a dog and another house project

 

Pictured below is the Post Office at Waterford, Virginia, the home of the longest cotinuous craft show in this country!  The next show, The Waterford Homes Tour & Crafts Exhibit will be their sixty-seventh anual event, Friday through Sunday, October 1-3, 2010.  The image on the left is the photo I used for my model from which I burned the image on the right.

Since the entire village of Waterford is on the National Historic Register, every building in town is special.  I have burned a few of them,  including the Westeria House, and the Corner Store, which is actually the headquarters for the Waterford Foundation.  The Homes Tour and Crafts Show is one of the major fund-raising activities for the foudation, and the entire village gets involved.

On the  subject of Waterford, here is a burning of the home of the folks who have been our hosts at Waterford, Scott and Polly Nigell and their three children.  It is about ten to twelve years old, and is three miles or so outside of the village of Waterford.

The guest quarters are the wing on the right in the picture.

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Maybe you have a special historic scene, such as an old homestead, or a favorite covered bridge or grist mill that you would like to memorialize through a woodburning.  If so, contact me at don@arquistudiogo.com,  and I will be happy to discuss it with you.

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 Here are some updated photos of the "Wedding Box" for Kim's wedding in July.  They liked the box, but asked if I could add some more grapes and leaves on the top of the box.  So I did.  As I had mentioned before, they are getting married in July, and going to Italy on their honeymoon.  The box was made for Kim by her Step-father.

 

 If you are anticipating a special event, and would like a unique, special item to cherish and injoy after the event has become ancient history, you might contact Don for some ideas regarding how to memorialize it for future generations.

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 Here are a couple of my latest special orders: another burning of the Mabry Mill (see mill on front page); and then a special prize-winning deer.

What was interesting to me about the new Mabry Mill, the wife of the gentleman who ordered the picture spent considerable time as a child next door to this mill, as her grandfather owned the adjoining property.

 The deer is one raised by an Amish gentleman who lives near us.  We met him at the NE Ohio Sportsman Show, held here in Dalton each January.  It is an event at the Buckeye Events Center, just off of Rte. 30 on the SW side of Dalton.

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Pictured below is a burning I did for my Son-in-law for Christmas.  It is of his 1967 Harley Davidson Sportster.  He completely restored is twice, and won several awards with it, but then tired of re-doing the same project, so last summer he sold it to someone who wanted it more than he did.  Anyway, after my daughter sent me some nice pictures of the bike, I made this woodburning for him.

1967 Harley Davidson Sportster

Another project this year was the USS Constitution, pictured below

USS Constitution

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Every year I do several houses for people, but seldom have the opportunity to do a log house.  Pictures below is one I did in 2009.

 

2009 Log House project

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Each year I do a number of pet portraits, and this year they included a pair of horses.  Pictured below are the two horses, and then some of the dogs I did this year.

 

 

 

What is exciting to me is that I have my first commissioned pet portrait for 2010!  A woman who knows my wife asked me to do a portrait of her son's cocker spaniel for his birthday in March, so I need to get busy!

If you have an idea for a special project--birthday gift--or just want to make a keepsake for yourself, contact me at don@arquistudiogo.com, and I will be happy to work with you.

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What's "hot" with me right now is a growing list of special orders for Christmas.  They range from individual pet portrait orders to a "large" order of "small" things; 45 small burnings of a country church for the pastor to give to his parishioners as Christmas presents!  I will be posting some of these when they are completed.

The image below is one of the 45 I am doing for the pastor of this small rural church.

Do you have an idea for something a bit unusual or different?  I have done a variety of unique projects for people, all the way from such "normal" things as homesteads and/or pets, to plaques, signs and even reproduced buisness cards--on a larger scale!  If you have such an idea or are curious about some possibility, let's talk about it!  You can reach me at don@arquistudiogo.com.

Calling these next two special orders "hot" may be a stretch, since the first one was done a year ago, and the second one last Spring.  However, they do represent a couple of my special orders that I am proud of.  I think they came out quite nice, thank the  Lord!  When he sent me the photos for this first one, he said, "My brother built a mansion!"  It is in eastern Virginia.

This second project came in last Spring, both them as a result of people visiting our booth at the Waterford Homes Tour and Crafts Exhibit in October of 2008.  We had a great time at the Waterford show again in October of 2009, and plan to be back nect October.  One way to keep the dates straight is to remember that the Waterford Show is always the first weekend in October that includes a Friday.  That means in 2010 it will be October 1, 2 & 3.  If you live in the vacinity, stop by and visit us next October!

If you have an idea for a project, let me know about it,  and let's discuss it.  I can be reached at don@woodburningsbydon.com.

Here is another "hot" idea from last Spring.  A lady asked me to do a special project in memory of a loved and revered former pastor, who is no longer among the living here on Earth.   In memory of him and his wife, this member of one of the churches they had served together asked me to create the image below, which was dedicated in their memory at the Deerfield Evangelical Friends Church, Deerfield, Ohio, in May of 2009.

I didn't mean to get my face in here so often, but sometimes the only way to illustrate the actual size is with some point of reference.  Unfortunately, in a couple cases, this seems the easiest way to do so.  I have some other unique and different projects that folks have brought to me in recent years.  In time, I may be able to post them here as well.  In the meantime, like I said, if you have a project...

 

A Special project for a special Lady

This is our daughter, Deana's dog, "Verb."  They got him a couple years ago because their husky, Shasta, was nearly ten years old, and slowing down a bit.  "Verb" has liven the whole house, including Shasta!  I plan to give this to her for her birthday.

A project for a gentleman in Northern Minnesota

This is one of the largest projects I have ever undertaken.  This man lives in a cabin, about 100 miles south of the Canadian border.  He must have wolves for neighbors!  Anyway, he sent me a small picture and asked if I could make it for him.  I asked, "How large?" He responded, as large as you can make it!"  A friend of mine helped me by glueing several pieces of Basswood together, and this is the result. The picture below will give you a better idea of the size of the project.

The picture is 46 inches wide and 27 inches high.

Gary Worden's tractors

 A special project for a special man.

I like old tractors and trains--don't you?

A Recent Pet Portrait