Woodcarving Illustrated

This March, the Woodcarving Illustrated team had a booth at a carving show for the first time in almost three years. Even in the midst of a snowstorm, guests and vendors came from all over the East Coast, swapping everything from paint tips to BAND-AID®s to tricks for shaping spoons. People of all ages carved owls and hedgehogs side-by-side under the tutelage of local club members, covering the gym floor with woodchips; one man played Lynyrd Skynyrd’s greatest hits on his guitar. There is nothing quite like being around those who share a common love; often, as one visitor said to us, you don’t realize just how much you miss people until you see them face to face. That’s where the magic happens. In this issue, we bring the magic of…

Mobius With a Twist I saw Tom Borecki’s “Making a Mobius” from issue #88 and thought the design would be a fun challenge (and make a nice conversation piece.) I carved it from three different types of mahogany and made the base out of red oak and pine. I left it unstained for a natural-looking finish. Paul Stephens Taylor, Pa. Just Add Freckles I saw Alex Joiner’s “Carving a Pumpkin Girl” from issue #92 and wanted to put my own spin on it. I carved the entire piece out of basswood, and then painted the piece with FolkArt® acrylic paints. It was a fun and satisfying project. Nikki Reese Austin, Texas The Wild Bunch After cutting wood for larger carvings, I noticed that the small off-cuts were piling up around me. So, I decided to make some…

FOX HUNT Jamie Loucks of Prince Albert, Canada, and James Obenstine of Shrewsbury, Pa., are the winners drawn from the correct entries received for WCI Spring 2022 (Issue 98). The fox was taking a dip in Daniel Caplinger’s Stylized Koi Fish article on page 69. Find the fox in this issue, and contact us with the page number and location. Two readers randomly selected from all correct replies will receive a $25 Fox Chapel Publishing gift certificate. Entries must be received by Jun 9, 2022, to be eligible. NOTE: With his feet on the “ground,” the contest fox faces left (other foxes in WCI don’t count). Send your entry to: Woodcarving Illustrated, Attn: Find the Fox, 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552, or enter online under the contests link at woodcarvingillustrated.com.…

Gabrielle Garrison Phoenix, Ariz. Gabrielle Garrison’s woodworking journey began in childhood when she whittled tree branches into makeshift pencils. As an adult, Gabrielle started woodburning images based on real photographs—especially those taken by her father. “Pyrography has always been a calming activity for me and I never want to stop,” she said. Lately, Gabrielle has been teaching the “dos and don’ts” of the craft to the members of the Arizona Woodworkers Association. To see more of Gabrielle’s work, visit @crafty_viking_woodworks on Instagram, or Crafty Viking Woodworks on Facebook. Michael Lightbody Kirkhill, Scotland Michael Lightbody has always been a firm believer in self-sufficiency. So, he started by learning to carve his own spoons. Michael then moved on to carving walking sticks and wooden animals—occasionally adding pyrography elements into his work. “I enjoy working in harmony with…

I created my first carving on a swing set with an X-ACTO® knife and a scrap piece of pine. The year was 1992; my wife and I had just married, moved to Wisconsin, and started our first jobs. I was teaching visual arts in a small school system. After graduating with experience in studio art, I knew that I wanted to pick an area of art that could be just for me. I chose woodcarving. It seemed perfect! I already had scrap pine and an X-ACTO knife lying around. What more could I need? Our “honeymoon” apartment sat across the street from a local elementary school, and when my wife wasn’t home, I would cross the street, sit on the swing set, and fail miserably. My first carving, a monk…

The Caricature Carvers of America (CCA) will debut a new event, Carvin’ the Rockies, on September 24-25, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colo. at the foot of Pikes Peak. The event will include the National Caricature Carving Competition, formerly held annually in Converse, Ind. The seminars will continue in Converse this August, but additional class opportunities will be available in Colorado Springs. “Moving the competition to Colorado Springs will enable us to open the competition for viewing,” said CCA member Carol Leavy. “In the past, this was not possible due to space constraints.” It is important to note that competition pieces will need to be delivered to Colorado Springs or brought in by a friend to show in the competition. Caricature carvers of all levels are encouraged to enter. The CCA’s anticipated book, The…