Ten Students of the Miami Valley Wood Carving club participated in a three day class entitled “The A-B-C’s of Face Carving” on March 2, 3 and 4, 2016. The students pictured in the photo above are (first row ~ left to right) Doug Claugherty, Teresa Balsbaugh, Joyce Stewart, Bob Caughron, Wayne Young and (second row ~ left to right) Andy Zinsmeister, Mike Lawson, Andy Calinger, Don Ward, Jim Wander and Don Mertz ~ the WOOD BEE CARVER.

The first day began with exercises in opening up a block of wood with slicing knife cuts including a notch cut and three cut triangular cuts followed by continuous shaping cuts. Following the Rule of Three of Facial proportions one exercise centered on the planes and angles of a face and the second exercise added to shaping the basic foundations of the face in order to receive the final detail cuts.

The second and third day each student worked on a carving project of their own choosing from the variety of examples of figures. Choices included Hobos, Pirate, Viking, Hillbilly, Gandalf, Railroader, Gambler, Gnome Wizard and Cowboy. The photos below show some of the projects as well as some of the students hard at work while carving on their project. Demonstrations by the instructor offered instructions on various ways to add personality and detail to the carved face.

Each student learned to always “slice the baloney,” carve on the “light side” with appreciation of “knife carving” and were encouraged to carve as often as possible because the “More one carves the better one carves.” In the end, each student survived to carve another day every day with a greater appreciation of the carving process.

The class was followed up with the two day Miami Valley Woodcarving Show on Saturday and Sunday which was and always is a delightful show filled with wonderful carvings and friendly wood carvers. Thanks Miami Valley Wood Carvers for a wonderful time in the class and show.