Quick Carving Tip!

Carvings have absolutely nothing to do with the structural integrity of the chair, but they do stand out as the most visually "loud" elements. As such, I am always very sensitive to the role of the carvings because they give a distinct impression of the quality of the rest of the piece.  Here is just one part that I find adds a great deal of interest and beauty to a volute on a comb back ear.

I alway think about a volute in terms of the negative space, that's where I do my work after all. I think of the shape as a long taper that's been bent to a round shape. It helps me to focus on the evenness of the curves if I think of it as a straight taper first. I do the same for the depth of the carving, keeping a close eye on the stop cut/ side wall in the volute so that it tapers evenly as well. The combo of the two make the carving visually flow.