I have been commissioned to paint a mural for the new Public Library in Deshler in Nebraska. The area I’m painting is a reading alcove for the kids, so I designed a fun, bright scene with a ‘storybook’ look to it. The style for this library mural is different from my usual work, but so far it’s been a lot of fun!
Click on any image below to view larger!
Welcome, I was commissioned to create a large brass and copper metal wall art metal sculpture for a residence in Lincoln Nebraska. What a fun project this was! I used a lot of techniques from my past and created some new ones. I have a lot of in progress images and videos to show how this was done.
Click any image below for a larger view..
Who knows where these kinds of things come from… Grandpa’s Attic? Is it a relic from some lost Music Society? or is it the make shift communication device of an Alien Traveler… We my never know the true origin of the Earth Tones Device. We can be certain however, that it has a secret language of it’s own and that a special bond between the Earth and the Conductor grows stronger with every tone. This Theremin is for sale!
View the video below to see “Earth Tones” communicate with the outside world during its world premiere in the art center of Chester Nebraska. Continue reading
I’m really enjoying the freedom to delve deeper into metal art and exploring new techniques. A recent trip to local sales resulted in the purchase of a quantity of hand saws. This is a new ‘medium’ for me and I’m having a lot of fun designing these and then cutting them out in my shop. Continue reading
I’ve been commissioned to paint a portrait. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but had never had the chance. I’ve done a lot ‘Journey‘ portraits, but not one in the traditional sense of closer head and shoulders portrait. This post will show the progress as I work through the painting.
If you would like to commission a portrait, please contact me.
As usual, I start with the background and work my way out to the foreground. The background contains part of the subject’s journey as he traveled from Rochester New York to Scottsbluff Nebraska. I show this with the two landscapes over each shoulder. Continue reading
Another happy Client
After I posted some of my other pencil lead carvings, I was contacted by someone in Florida who wanted to commission a pencil. He was one of the those dream clients we get now and then that are super-excited and give me free reign. 😀
All I knew was that he was in the construction industry, but that gave me a wide range of ideas. He wouldn’t let me ask him any questions but did answer one, which confirmed what I had already planned – it was to be a cement mixer!
THANK YOU JS!!!!
Contact me if you would like your own custom carved pencil!
Below are some image of the final piece.
This is another one of my miniature pieces. I’ve taken a pocket watch, gutted it and built a scene that shows the terrors of the deep ocean!
The octopus is guarding his treasure chest, but Captain Nemo’s sub got too close and now the old wise octopus is forced to defend himself and his treasure. It’s not looking good for the crew of the Nautilus! Continue reading
I’ve been seeing sculpted pencils and pencil leads online for the past few years and REALLY wanted to try my hand at it.
My first pencil carving at this scale was of a train – and in December of 2015 it went viral across Facebook and the Internet! I was featured on sites such as SteampunkTendencies.com, BoredPanda.com, ThisIsColossal.com (even Spanish TV!) and many others. Since then, I’ve been busy taking orders, answering questions and doing interviews – this is FUN! 😀
Here is my viral post that made me ‘a world-wide sensation’ 😉
Train carved into the lead of a carpenters pencil… 3/16’th of an inch high. by Artist Cindy Chinnhttp://cindychinn.com/blog/pencil-carvings-by-cindy-chinn/
Posted by Cindy Chinn on Thursday, May 7, 2015
August 25, 2016 – “The White Line Express”
Here is one of my latest train carvings – and the first in the “Press Plate” series.
These trains are based on images from some press plates we found at an auction.
Introducing the “White Line Express”.
Please share if you like it! Contact me if you would like to purchase it.
Since that time, I received some orders for more trains other pencil carving projects and have started off 2016 busily looking through a magnifying glass! Here is a gallery of my pencil lead trains that I have carved so far. It’s been fun coming up with some different designs.
The trains are constructed, rather than carved from a single piece of lead (graphite). The trestle and cars under are carved in place, while I use mechanical pencil lead for the rails and carve the engine (and other cars if needed) from some graphite I have cut from the pencil. I then glue the rails and the engine to the pencil.
You can order a train carving directly from my Etsy storefront. I’ll be happy to customize it (as much as I can). You can also select from a number of different stand designs and finishes.
In 2019 I was invited to Disney Studios in Los Angeles to film this short feature about carving pencils. I had a great time and everyone loved the results! The video was view over 2 million times on Instagram!
I also carve other designs and like to see how much I can get away with. Some designs are VERY tricky and I haven’t mastered them all yet. Some break at critical places and cannot be fixed by gluing or re-carving.
Check out the blog post which shows the progress of my Epiphany Elephant pencil!
Lately I’ve also been working with crayons. I like the options I have with the colors and combinations of colors. I never realized how much room for experiment there was in this art form.
Here’s a series I hope to expand on – they were so much fun! (and they all went to good homes) 😉
Buy a pencil from Etsy store – each one is Made to Order – just for you! Or contact me to create a custom carving!
For those of you that wonder how I how I carve these tiny sculptures, here’s a look at my view of things – through the magnifying glass:
I would like to thank Art Whitton Photography for his great photos of these tiny works!
This post will show the progress of a second pew that I am carving. It is for the mother of the client that commissioned the first 4′ church pew that I carved. See this page to check out the first one. I want them to match in style, so I consider them a pair.
Follow this page for in progress photos and updates “as they happen”. Click here for more photos.
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I’ve been commissioned to create two hand carved church pews. The first pew is based on the scripture, “by His stripes we are healed”. The second will be designed around, “come boldly unto the throne of grace”. Both will be four feet long and feature custom hand carved wood with glass mosaics.
Consider a custom pew such as this as a gift to your church or as a way to honor a member through a memorial fund.
Keep reading to see the in progress photos as I work through these pews. Click to view the in progress photos and more!
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