woodezine - Volume II - Issue VI - June 2004

Carving Tidbits
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Carving for Kids
 Rick Wiebe has a special spot in his heart for kids. The noted carver and carving teacher will be appearing at "Carvin' Kamloops 2004" Pole Carving Competition in Kamloops, British Columbia, from June 28 - July 1. This will be Rick's third year of involvement in this event. Eight or ten invited carvers will unleash chainsaws and sundry other carving tools/devices to produce sculptures out of provided 3ft diameter logs over 4 days. The finished carvings will be judged on the final day - July 1, which is Canada Day - and prizes will be awarded for both Judges' choice and Peoples' Choice. The winning entry in the latter category will be donated to the city of Kamloops, and the rest will be raffled. Proceeds go to Art International to provide funding for medical supplies to assist children with respiratory problems in South America.
Carving will take place in an enclosed tennis court area where observers can see the work progressing and even talk to the carvers, but they'll still be protected from getting too close to the chainsaws. When the carving is all done, the public will be invited in to get up close and personal with the carvings and to vote for the Peoples' Choice. Completion, judging, and awards are in conjunction with the Canada Day celebrations at Riverside Park.
"In the summer," Rick told Woodezine, "my teaching schedule revolves around a week long (two hours per day) program for children age 9 and up called 'Summer Fun With a Pocketknife', which I present in various communities in British Columbia. I will also be doing the program for three weeks at a summer camp."

 

For more info, send Rick
an e-mail or visit him online
(www.woodcarvingbiz.com)

For more information, visit them online (chippingaway.com) or call 519-743-9008

  

International Carvers' Conference
 The first annual International Carvers' Conference will be held in Kitchener, Ontario from September 10th through the 12th this year. Sponsored in part by Chipping Away and over fifteen manufacturers and publishers, it will feature 68 one-hour seminars by sixteen of North America's top carving personalities, including special guest pyrographer Sue Walters from Australia. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners attending the seminars and a carving competition for all skill levels.

The Chipping Away Resource Centre will feature demonstrations, exhibits and displays by numerous manufacturer representatives and artists, including Peter Ortel, George Wickham, Sally and David Nye (Fan Carvers from Michigan), Fred Zavadil and more. Woodcarving Illustrated and the people from Fox Publishing will be there with their popular "Road Show", as will representatives from the new Carving Magazine. Outdoor demonstrations include three chainsaw artists and a totem pole sculptor. Seminar space is limited.


 

New York Carving School
 Their Web site says they are "the only woodcarving school for beginners in New York City". Woodcarving and drawing courses are available, and exhibitions and demonstrations can be arranged. They also offer carvings for sale: the latest one is Noah's Ark, a handcarved original design measuring a full six feet tall!

For more information, visit them online.
http://woodcarving.web.com

94-05 71st Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375

 


Noah's Ark (at left) and detail above
(c)copyright woodcarvingweb.com 2004.

 
Duck Decoy Classes
Noted carver Ron Fisher has been making full sized, antique style working decoy blanks for some years now. His blanks are 85% finished. What's new is that Ron has now begun to offer classes on how to make authentically old looking, antique reproduction working decoys. You can view his class offering at www.ducks-r-us.com

Ron offers antique style waterfowl decoy blanks for mallards, wood ducks, mergansers, teal, bluebills, canvasbacks and Chesapeake canvasbacks.

New Basic to Advanced Carving Videos from Gene Webb


Gene Webb teaches wildlife carving and wood carving at the Smoky Mountain School of Woodcarving in Townsend, Tennessee, and is a regular competitor in the region. This talented teacher has now released several "video classrooms" with wonderful projects for all skill levels - including two beginner series... Hand Carving a Smoky Mountain Comical Bear (a great introduction to woodcarving and Gene only uses a pocketknife), and Hand Carving a Woodspirit, which is a great introduction to creating faces.

For those who like to use power tools, Gene offers Power Carving A Rattlesnake In A Twisted Walking Stick; Power Carving an American Indian Portrait; Power Carving a White Tail Deer; Carving Wolf and Black Bear Walking Cane Tops From A Roughout; and Carving Eagle and Rattlesnake Walking Cane Tops From A Roughout.

For more info, visit Gene online
www.gwwoodcarver.com

 


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