Even though the WOOD BEE CARVER is primarily a knife carver, yet learning to carve using real carving tools and other  carving styles is a way to stretch one’s horizons.  As often as I have a chance I take a carving class for the experience of learning something new and challenging.

Every carver should consider taking a carving class from time to time for learning and inspiration.  We can read and study carving books and magazines, be observant at wood carving shows and participate in woodcarving club activities, but nothing takes the place of participating in a carving class.  One learns not only from the instructor but also from fellow students.  And besides it is a great way to makes good friends.

Robert Stadtlander  whose web site address is:  http://www.stadtlandercarvings.com/index.htm is an excellent teacher both of relief and caricature carving and every time I take a class from him, I learn more and more.  He has an easy going way about his teaching method that moves right along getting everything needed into the session so that each student receives a good learning experience.

Carving a relief scene in a wooden egg is a little different than carving a relief on a flat surface.  The challenge is well worth the effort and the finished carving makes a nice display.  These two photographs show two slightly different angles to study all the features in this relief carving.

These two photographs are together to make a comparison between the painted and unpainted versions of this relief scene carved in a basswood ostrich egg.  It was a fun project to learn relief carving in a different venue and to experience again that “Woodcarving is the journey more than the destination.” It was  the journey of taking a carving class with the tuterage of an excellent teacher and good camaraderie of students that made this carving project fun to do.