When Hollywood execs descended on the Canadian city of Victoria, BC, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that local artists could provide the support needed to bring their latest film to life. In the made-for-television movie Pictures of Hollis Woods, Sissy Spacek portrays a retired art teacher with a passion […]
Staff and realistic snake are carved from a single piece of wood Many carvers approach this type of project using a vine wrapped branch or twisted root, but I sculpt the snake from an ordinary log. This allows the shape and contour of the snake to be planned, instead of […]
Modern woodturning masters embellish their work with carving The popularity of artistic woodturning has skyrocketed in the past decade. The modern masters featured in this article have combined turning with carving to create stunning compositions, of which the beautifully turned shape is only the beginning. J. Paul Fennell: Infinite piercing […]
Jim Arnold’s clever chess set designs If not for a hurricane in the late 1990s, Jim Arnold’s career might have taken a different path. During a power outage in his home state of Florida, Jim’s wife pointed out that chisels don’t require electricity. Taking her advice, Jim got started and […]
Jim Calder’s sweet potato faces make carving easy By Kathleen Ryan For Jim Calder, teaching kids to carve is a win-win situation. He enjoys it so much, he has taught more than 3,000 children the basics of woodcarving–for free. “I just love to see children carve for the first time […]
Hershal Borders’ complex canes start with a block of basswood and a theme By Ayleen Stellhorn “I guess I do just about everything backwards,” laughs Hershal Borders. But for this Middletown, Ohio, resident, “backwards” may well be the key to his growing notoriety as canemaker-extraordinaire.“I start with a block of […]
Decoy carver Karl Schmidt is a lesson in perseverance By Dr. Lawrence Vamer Many of Karl Schmidt’s carved ducks appear as though they are alive and ready to fly away. What makes Karl’s work even more amazing is he suffers from quadriplegia as a result of a swimming pool accident. […]
By Jim Sebring The origin of tramp art dates back to the late–1800s. Essentially, tramp art consists of notched and layered pieces of wood. It is widely believed that tramp art evolved from folk-art chip carving traditions. The notches, which were often carved in wood scavenged from cigar boxes and […]
Build self confidence and provide a life-long hobby by teaching kids to carve By Dave Brock More than 40 years ago, my dad made a surprise stop at a local hobby shop and bought me a small carving set. Looking back, I realize woodcarving played a major role in building […]
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