FEATURES
The Art of Ken Newman
Award-winning carver turns found wood into masterpieces

2005 Santa Carving Contest
By Bob Duncan
50 finalists highlighted in annual contest

PROJECTS
Northern Cardinal
By Gordon & Marsha Stiller

Happy Santa
By Tina Toney
The compact styling of this fellow makes him an ideal project for beginners

Chip Carved Golf Balls
By Sharon Braunberger & Elaine Dugan
Striking designs highlight this unique carving medium

Santa Claus
By Les Ramsey
Classic Santa face makes a perfect winter welcome

Rolling Caricature Animals
By Desiree Hajny
Easy-to-carve critters are delightfully mobile

Santa with Cardinal
By Vicki Bishop
Wood bleach techniques make painting a snap

Folk-Art Angel Tree Topper
By Shawn Cipa
Hand carve an instant family heirloom

A Christmas Story Leg Lamp
By Mike Burton
Nostalgic lamp will become an instant conversation starter

Painting a Hen Wood Duck
By Tom Matus
Use blending techniques for an antique-style finish

Chip-Carved Angel Ornaments
By Barry McKenzie
Carve through painted blanks for an easy, yet beautiful project

Santa Lamp Finial
By Steve Brown
A charming way to show off your seasonal carvings

Herby's Angel
By Paul McLeod
Easy-to-carve figure is a Holiday delight

TECHNIQUES
Tuning Your Tools
By Chris Pye
The basics of getting your tools in the right condition for carving and keeping them there

DEPARTMENTS
Editor's Letter
From Our Mailbag
News & Notes
Tips & Techniques
Reader Gallery
New Products
Judge's Critique
Relief Column
Calendar of Events
Coming Features & Classifieds
Advertising Directory
Teacher's Corner

Desiree Hajny is the winner of many national and international awards for her carvings (13 "Best of" shows and 90 first-place honors), has been the featured artist for Sculpture Forum and Wildlife Art News, and is a contributing editor of Wood Carving Illustrated magazine. She lives in Eckert, Colorado.

Gordon and Marsha Stiller have been in the pattern business for more than 24 years. To request a free catalog, contact them at 920-685-2938, or visit their website at www.stillerpatterns.com.

I started carving in 1982 when a course on relief carving was offered through a local community college. Prior to this course, I attended basic drawing classes, decorative art and landscape painting seminars, searching for an art form that truly captured my interest. That first relief course did spark a glimmer of interest, attracting me enough to attend a second quarter and a third.

Soon I was engrossed, attending every carving seminar available. Realistic songbirds, shorebirds, ducks, fish and caricatures have given me more experience. I continue to attend workshops on a regular basis, learning new things, enjoying the fellowship, seeing old friends, making new friends and, above all, sharing knowledge.

Ron Ransom sneaked into my life and introduced me to carving Santas. Soon I was designing and with time have developed a style of my own. Santas became my best seller in the co-op art gallery in which I displayed song birds and relief carvings. After six years of producing Santas for the gallery and other gift shops, I said enough! It was time to attend more wood carving shows and experiment with new designs.

Shawn Cipa's carving repertoire shows his preference for all things whimsical. His latest book, Carving Fantasy and Legend, Figures in Wood is a showcase for Shawn's artistic talent, his imaginative mind and skilled hands. Shawn's first attempt at carving was a bearded "wood spirit" face which he scrawled into a piece of found driftwood. He continues to carve solely with hand tools in the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania.

Shawn Cipa was recognized as "Santa Carver of the Year" after he won Woodcraft's National Santa Carving contest. His work has appeared in Woodcarving Illustrated magazine. He is also the author of Carving Folk Art Figures and Wood Spirits and Green Men. Shawn accepts commissions for his work and can be contacted at www.shawnscarvings.com.

Mike Burton has been a professional woodworker for more than 40 years. He opened a woodworking shop in Ogden, Uthah in 1973 with his father and brother and later became the sole owner of this business, manufacturing a full line of furniture and custom wood products including guitar bodies and propellers for ultralight aircraft. After transferring the business to his sons, Mike put his energy into writing and is the author of three other books, Simple Marquetry (Sterling), Veneering a Foundation Course (Sterling) and Architectural Carving Revised (Sterling).

Tom Matus is a world champion wildfowl carver and an instructor and judge for the Ward World Champion Wildfowl Carving Competition. He is a frequent contributor to Wood Carving Illustrated and the author of Duck Decoys: Classic Carving Projects Made Easy and Antique-Style Duck Decoys. He lives in Boise, Idaho. For more of Tom's work, visit his website at www.tmdecoy.com

Chris Pye has been a professional woodcarver for than 25 years and is a member of the Master Carvers Association. His work is done mainly to commission, with clients including HRH the Prince of Wales. It ranges from architectural moldings to figure carving, furniture to lettering, bedheads and fireplaces. He has also written extensively about woodcarving for several magazines.

Bob Duncan is the Technical Editor of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts and Woodcarving Illustrated.