Hop Carver

10/17/2026

10/15/2026

Late season hummingbird salt and pepper shaker project in process

To see more of my work visit www.hopcarver.com

09/29/2026

At the 2026 Kewanna Fall Festival, attendees enjoyed food, drink, craft and artisan vendors, rode carnival rides and watched a parade to honor the 250th...

09/26/2026

The theme for Indiana Kewanna Fall Festival 's parade is "Tribute to Hometown Heroes - Celebrating America 250th." Decided to tribute two people who encompass something we need to celebrate in our 250 years as Americans: care, consistency, humility, work ethic, bravery, kindness, joy, selflessness, passion, fairness, love, faith, and service.

I used part of my Hop Carver mural for the gold plated plaques. I painted a USA blue and white marble design for Chad's plaque and painted a nurse scrub blue and pink marble design for Erin's plaque.

-Hop

Fulton County Indiana America 250
Fulton County Chamber of Commerce
Shopping Guide News of Fulton County
Rochester Sentinel
Woodlawn Health
Tic Toc Trophy Shop Inc
Hop Carver

09/14/2026

Pushing the limits of creativity with some symbolism, I reckon. Probably a philosophical lesson in there somewhere. What's next? We'll see . . .

-Hop

09/12/2026

"Bridging Liberty, 250 Years United: a Star Spangled Celebration"
-Hop

P.S. I misspoke, my first float (not counting T-Ball and Little League) was in 1993.

Hop Carver
Roann Covered Bridge Festival
Fulton County Indiana America 250
Fulton County Chamber of Commerce
Shopping Guide News of Fulton County

09/12/2026

I've come a long way since 1993 . . .

Akron Carnegie Public Library
Hop Carver
Fulton County Chamber of Commerce
Shopping Guide News of Fulton County

09/12/2026

Turnbuckles are a story of successful (and legal) American immigration and engineering . . .

Long before they held up suspension bridges, turnbuckles were invented in the 18th century as wooden "rigging screws" to keep sailing ship masts stable in high winds. Their jump to civil engineering happened during the 1800s, when iron pioneers like James Finley (born in Ireland)—who patented the first modern suspension bridge in 1801—and Brooklyn Bridge designer John A. Roebling (born in Germany) realized temperature shifts caused metal cables to expand, sag, and unbalance bridge loads. The turnbuckle’s genius design, featuring opposite-facing right and left-hand internal threads, solved this by allowing workers to adjust cable tension with millimeter precision without twisting or damaging the main cables.

-Hop

Hop Carver
Fulton County Indiana America 250
Shopping Guide News of Fulton County
Roann Covered Bridge Festival

09/12/2026

Traveled back to 1863 in my painting of these iconic words from Abraham Lincoln. This version based off of the copy he held in his actual hands during his address. My major change was capitalizing "Liberty" (a nod to 2 other versions where he did that). Much like my Roosevelt painting, it was humbling tracing over these words with a paintbrush . . .

Lincoln delivered the speech at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania four and a half months after the Union defeated the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War's bloodiest battle. In just 271 words, he connected the sacrifices of the Civil War directly back to the founding ideal of Liberty and equality for all.

-Hop

Hop Carver
Fulton County Chamber of Commerce
Roann Covered Bridge Festival
Fulton County Indiana America 250

09/11/2026

I traveled back to 1910 in my painting of this powerful excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt's speech in Paris. Don't have a giant Re*****on typewriter, but it sure was surreal tracing over these words with a paintbrush. My background is a custom painted sheet of plywood I painted to look like a scrap of paper . . .

The speech reflected Theodore Roosevelt’s personal crossroads. Having just emerged from the African wilderness and preparing to step back into the chaotic American political landscape, his message about "dust, sweat, and blood" wasn't just advice for his French listeners—it was his personal code of conduct. It's also a reminder that grit and hard work is truly part of our American story. This couldn't be more vital to remember this on the 25th anniversary of a real American tragedy . . .

-Hop

Hop Carver
Fulton County Indiana America 250
Roann Covered Bridge Festival
Fulton County Chamber of Commerce