Done!

     I put the final little painting touches on the carving yesterday, and consider the carving itself to be done.  Still not sure about the base.  I took some photos outside on the picnic table, with a tablecloth under it for contrast.  These are not "official" photos, but they will do for this post.

    I am pleased with how the carving turned out, very close to my fantasy at the beginning about how it would look.  Not as scruffy or messy as a real bird, but that is the nature of carving, I suppose.  I did capture the intense concentration and focus of the bird as it zeroes in on its prey as well as the dynamic nature of the osprey's high-speed dive.

    I will enter this carving in the upcoming New England Woodcarver's Spirit of Wood Show in Massachusetts in mid-October. 

    You should feel free to go back to the very first postings on this blog to see how the final product emerges from the roughly-shaped blocks of glued-up pine board.

    Rounding up a little to account for the times I missed reporting, I would say that this carving took about 140 hours to finish.  Worth the effort, for sure, and I learned a lot about ospreys, power carving, paint mixing, and finishing.  The next one will be better, as will the one after that!

    James/DAD

p.s.(8/30/2022) I have decided to leave the base as is, based on the mostly positive comments from those who have seen it in person.  I guess I am too critical of my own work.