Elk in Mountain Scene

This picture is worth studying carefully just to appreciate the incredible choices of veneers and veneer patterns.  The veneer in the frame is incredibly beautiful.  Dad completed this picture, which measures 20 x 26 inches, in 1988.  When we were young and lived near Ralston WY during WWII, we children shared a large room for a time that was originally intended for a garage.  Dad's scroll saw and work bench were on one side and in one corner of the room, and I remember going to sleep at night while Dad was cutting out intricate patterns of pieces of veneer on the scroll saw far into the night.

Winter Farmstead Scene in Moonlight

This scene is much loved by family members, showing a farmstead in winter under a full moon.  The picture is 18 x 18 inches and was completed in 1989.

Bookends with Cabin Scene

Dad liked to play with different woods to present different views of the same scene.  Here are five different bookends portraying the same scene but with different veneers in each bookend.

Lovesick Cowboy with Victrola

This inlaid veneer picture by Russell M. Blood completed in 1976 was designed by Stephen M. Blood from an illustration by Norman Rockwell.  Apologies if it is a copyright violation.  We can delete if necessary.  However, the ingenuity of using many different shades and patterns of veneer to portray Rockwell's lovesick cowboy is certainly worth studying.  Again, the quality of the marquetry is impeccable.

The Clipper Ship

This inlay of a clipper ship is one picture, and perhaps the only picture, that Mother made.  Mom's name "Minnie Blood" is burned in the lower right corner, and Dad labeled the back as "Russell M. Blood, Western Woodcraft, Ralston Wyoming."  This labeling means the picture was completed between the years 1941 and 1944. The clipper ship hung on my bedroom wall all the way through high school and when I left home in January 1950, I just assumed this picture was mine and took it with me.  That was a regrettable oversight, as Dad and Mom searched for years to find it.  Once I told them that I had it, Mom very kindly just said that as long as she knew I had it and had taken good care of it, that was fine with her.

The marquetry in this picture is flawless as, of course, Mother never accepted any job that was less than perfect.  It holds a special place in my life because I have had it for nearly 65 years and because it was such a priceless gift from my mother.  It has hung in my bedroom, wherever I lived around the United States, for all of these years.  I have seen it every day, a reminder of days gone by and of the hours that went into the completion of this inlaid picture.

Cowboy with Rifle Mounting Horse

This picture of a cowboy with a rifle mounting a horse is one of Dad's larger masterpieces.  The picture measures 22 x  38 inches and was completed in 1976 in Olympia, WA.

Old Barn

RThis picture of an old barn is 18 x 21 in size.  Dad burned his name and date of completion on all of his completed inlays.  The date on this one in the lower right hand corner is very dim but I believe it is 1969.  It is worth your time to double click and study the different veneers and shades of wood to see how skillfully the picture was designed and finished.



Cabin in Mountan Scene

This inlaid picture is a beautiful piece of work.  The choice of veneers and the patterns they make in the final picture are perfect.  The pieces are tight with little gap.  No date on the picture, but probably in the 1950s or 1960s.  I'm still learning about light.  I've finally figured out tight cropping.  My pictures still have a bit of a cast, but I'll keep working on it.  Not as easy as Ann implied.

The Stagecoach

I had to start out with the largest and most difficult picture I have just to see if I could do it.   Dad gave me this picture in about 1963 when I received my Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan, so it is especially treasured.  One can only imagine how many hours it took to choose the veneers, cut all of the pieces, and put this masterpiece together.  I took at least 150 photos of this picture before I got a decent one without light flashes and extreme color cast.   The picture is 34 x 20 inches, necessitating a light box large enough to accommodate it.  I finally came up with the above photo which is reasonably true to the original.  I doubt if anyone ever got a graduation present that involved such a labor of skill and love.

The Owls Marquetry

Dad made this marquetry for Ron's birthday in 1984. It may have been the beginning of his series of bird marquetry pictures. (Ron has a small collection of owls.) This is another experiment, following Ann's lead, to see if I can get better color definition.

A Small Piece of Marquetry

Sweet Memories

This picture hung in my little bedroom in Penrose. When I left home, it went with me. I don't think I even asked. It has moved with me more times than I care to count, and has always given me a sense of peace, a corner of home, and a sweet memory of Mother and Dad. The ironic thing is one day this picture disappeared. I couldn't imagine what had happened to it, but with all the moves I suspected it had become one of those move mysteries. Then, when Beth and Jerry moved into our basement apartment, there magically appeared on the wall the missing picture. She laughed and said that when she left home, she just quietly wrapped up the picture and took it with her - a piece of home - that has kept her company for several years. I suspect "Silent Night" (at least that is what I have always called it) was needed to keep someone else feeling connected to family and home.

Ralston, Wyoming 1942

This piece was done the year I was born. On the back, there is a woodburned note that says "Russell Blood, Western Woodcraft, Ralston, Wyoming". On the front it says "Russell Blood 1942".

The Castle #2

I will leave the other castle photo for comparison's sake, but I believe this is a better photo. I have used the 70 watt full color spectrum bulbs from Lowes (cheap) and they have made a difference from the first photo that is currently on the blog, where I used two, more expensive flourescent full spectrum bulbs (60 watt). Please try printing both and let me know what you think. Criticism is welcome. Once I get this down pat, I can take all of my photos and cross this off my to-do list.

The Castle

This piece was completed in 1961, the year I graduated from high school. The Castle, as it has been known in family circles, was truly a masterpiece. It hung above the piano in the Penrose house, and as visitors would come and go, there was a lot of admiration for Dad's work. I must admit I really wished for this marquetry piece, so when I found my name on it at the Cody house, I felt a twinge of guilt. But I quickly got over it! Dad was a true master of this art.
Note: This appears slightly faded on the blog. Please try printing and let me know how it looks.