classes

BEGINNING WOODCARVING

This is a two day class for people with little or no carving experience. Class objective is to give you the basic skills which will allow you to enjoy the art of woodcarving.

Over the two days at least 3 projects will be completed, with each project geared to teach you specific elements of wood carving.

Three tools will be used:

• Carving knife
• 3/8" 9 gouge
• "V" tool

If you do not have tools, they will be available to purchase at the class. In the class you will learn:

• The anatomy of wood and what types of wood is best to carve.
• How to correctly work with the grain of the wood to get clean smooth cuts.
• How to properly, and safely, use carving tools to achieve maximum efficiency.
• How to sharpen carving tools.
• How to develop an idea into a finished carving.
• Lots of tips and techniques I have learned over my 30 plus years of carving and 20 years of teaching woodcarving.
• And you will go home with a number of handouts for future reference.
  

SHARPENING WOODCAR VING TOOLS

Use a dull tool - the wood will control you
Use a sharp tool - you control the wood

This is a one day "hands on" class. The technique used is the same as that in my video "Sharpening Simplified".

I demonstrate how to sharpening a specific tool; the students then (with supervision) sharpen a similar tool of their own using the process demonstrated. After successfully sharpening that tool, we progress to the next.
We sharpen tools in the following sequence:

• Carving knives
• Gouges
• Veiners
• Flat Chisels
• " V" Tools
• Micro Tools
  Various other types of "specialty" carving tools

The pros and cons of various types of sharpening stones will also be covered.

RELIEF CARVING OF THREE HORSE HEADS

This is a two day class carving a flowing design of three horse heads in pierced relief.

We start with a 3/4 inch thick roughed out blank, approximately 12 inches in diameter. (You have a choice of using a butternut or walnut blank).
An anatomical study is done to help you create a realistic carving. I then guide you step by step to the completion of the carving. I have several castings of my original carving so each student has a model to study while doing their carving.

Added emphasis is placed on how to do realistic flowing hair.

VOYAGEUR

Four day class for people with some carving experience.

This is a high relief carving done in basswood, 8 inches high by 6 inches wide and 4 inches thick.

We start with a bandsawed roughout blank and I take you step by step to the finished carving.

An in depth study is done on how one facial element references to another, with emphases on how to do noses, mouths, ears and various types of eyes. Many props and handouts are used to assist you in creating a realistic human face.

I demonstrate how to do a specific element of the carving, then you carve it with my supervision. After you complete that element the next step is demonstrated, and so on, until we have completed the carving. I continually walk around the class answering questions and giving directions.

I have several castings of my original carving so students have a model to study while doing their carving.

The final step is a unique color staining process where the wood grain shows through the stain.