John Burke was remembered at the Artistry in Wood Show in Dayton, Ohio with a display of his signature carvings including the Caricature Scene of “Leroy’s Garage.” Noted for his Native American and Mountain Men carvings, John also created Santa carvings, bronzes and rustic Western furniture. Perhaps where he excelled the most was through his instructional advancement of woodcarving and the number of his students who became instructors in their own right. He and his lovely wife Nancy sponsored the long running Western Art and Wildlife Seminar as well as manufacturing the famous “Burke Sharpening System.” The woodcarving family remembers John with great affection and humorous anecdotes of John’s wit and fun loving ways. He has certainly carved a place in our room called “Remember.” A previous memorial tribute may be viewed in the January 30, 2010 posting under Carving Friends.
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My wife Frances commissioned Harold Enlow to carve me one of his caricature carvings as a birthday gift earlier this month. I was very honored and appreciative to receive such a rare gift as an Enlow carving. Harold has long been one of my carving mentors long before I ever met him, then becoming his friend and now fellow Caricature Carvers of America member. The cowboy is three and a half inches tall by two inches wide and painted with acrylic paints.
Harold Enlow is the one person who has done more for woodcarving than any other single carver and yet he would not admit that since he is a humble and unassuming gentle spirit. So a Rare Gift of a carving that was carved by a Rare Gift to the carving world made my wife’s birthday gift even more rare. Thank you.
JOHN BURKE, ended his battle with cancer on January 29, 2010. A carver of extra ordinary artistic ability and whose name is synonymous with Western Art, John endeared himself to his untold number of students and the carving community. His was a household name and along with his beloved wife, Nancy, they sponsored a yearly woodcarving learning experience in the Western and Wildlife Art Workshop at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. The “Burke Sharpening System” revolutionized the ease of sharpening carving tools. Most of all the friendships made over the years continue to relive the memories of times shared. Read the rest of this entry »
Cameron Proctor, better know as “HOBO” carved this likeness of the WOOD BEE CARVER and made me look better than I really am. That is what carving friends do, make us look better because of the common kinship we have through wood carving. I have never met Hobo face to face and yet he is like a long lost relative as we share a common bond of interests. We met through the Message Board on Woodcarving Illustrated web site and have talked on the telephone. Hobo lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina and carves in the tradition of such carvers as Tom Wolfe, David Boone, Mitch Cartledge and the Wade Brothers Read the rest of this entry »
Steve Cotton is a carving friend who shares the journey of wood carving with me. We first met when he was a student in one of my classes and over the years has kept me informed through photographs of his carving excellence. The Santa Ornamnent was a gift that my wife France and I cherish as we do his friendship. Below is a biographical sketch prepared for the showing of some of his carvings in a gallery in West Virginia: Read the rest of this entry »
Don Stephenson, an artist, wood burner and carver, wood burned this likeness of me in the act of whittle-carving along with a likeness of a Whittle Folk Monk. Stephenson is a member of the Dayton Carvers Guild who also takes numerous photographs at guild meetings. He often sits beside me at the carving meeting with sketch pad and pencil drawing what ever comes to the surface of his creative spirit. While some people doodle non-sensible pencil scratches with paper and pencil, Stephenson doodles seriously with a drawing that is astounding. Read the rest of this entry »
Michael Keller of White Eagle Studios is a very good carving friend who publishes a web log. Michael is an advocate for making clean slicing cuts. The slicing cut is the most efficient way to use a cutting tool as it allows the cutting teeth of the cutting edge to seperate the wood fibers while the side of the cutting tool burnishes the wood as it rubs the surface. Read the rest of this entry »
Bart Wilson of Guyton, Georgia recently honored me with a gift of three of his caricature carvings during the Dollywood Woodcarving Showcase, 2009. This was our first face to face meeting as we had only communicated with each other through the Woodcarving Illustrated Message Board. Read the rest of this entry »
