Carver of the Month: Dan Riggott (A.K.A. @danhero)

Who you are?

I'm Dan, a dad of two young boys, a photo retoucher for the fashion and beauty industry by day and a novice carver of odd little monsters in the wee small hours...

 What do you mainly carve?

I mainly carve strange monsters and cute characters, with a particular penchant for cyclops. These are created either straight from my imagination or from doodles I've made in my sketchbooks, and I like to carve them very small. I've carved these from various woods such as black walnut and mahogany, but because it's so much fun to work with, I mostly use basswood.

Where you are from?

I grew up in a small, remote seaside village called Marcross in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. I later lived in Cheltenham and then Brighton as an adult, but settled back into a small town on the Gower Peninsula some years back. I love to be near the coast.

                                                                                   When did you start carving?

I started carving in June of 2017, prior to this I'd probably only whittled a twig or two with a penknife as a child. I'd enjoyed drawing from a young age, and later making animations and digital art, but the idea of taking up carving never entered my mind until last year.

Why did you start carving? What was your inspiration?

I was inspired by a carving that my grandfather had made 40 years ago, that I'd loved & played with as a young child. It just occurred to me how nice it was that I still had this treasured heirloom 20 years after his passing. I liked the idea of making something tangible that my kids could play with and enjoy, and perhaps pass on to their kids too. I've always enjoyed drawing strange monsters and odd characters and wondered if I could translate these to wood. 

How do you like to carve?

With so little time, I like to carve small so that I can do it anywhere. I can carry a tiny piece of wood in my pocket and whittle anytime I get the opportunity, be it on a beach or on a train. I just love the simplicity of that. I can then finish/paint the carving at a tiny section of desk space in my office. I have quite a few knives, but I've pretty much narrowed it down to using a very portable modified Swiss Army Knife and a Ben Orford 'Big pick knife' (reshaped handle). But I'm desperate for an Oar Carver V2! I've never really followed any tutorials (apart from how to sharpen) or copied any patterns, so don't really have any particularly special carving techniques, but I do find holding the knife like a pen and using my little finger on the carving as support is a great way of obtaining the fine details in my little characters and of course - keeping the knife razor sharp! I don't think I've ever enjoyed a hobby as I much I do carving. It offers a focused relaxation which can result in something tangible and pleasing to the eye at the end of the process. Being able to share this hobby and interact with like-minded people on Instagram this last year has been fantastic.