Wood Carving Illustrated - Issue #2 - Winter/Spring 1998

Travel Feature:
Ward World Championships

Empire State Carousel
Roger Schroeder visits this ambitious project

Cover Feature:
Carving the Cardinal - Paul Doherty
Carve the gorgeous bird featured on our cover

Cardinal Reference Section

Carving the Uncommon Bottlestopper
A terrific project for every carver

Beginner's Feature:
Cutting Corners - Joel Hull
Have a knife and a gouge?
You're ready to carve this caricature!

Bellflowers and Beads - Ron Clarkson
Cane Corner - Hershal Borders

Gallery Feature:
Desiree Hajny-A Life in Transition
An overview of our very own Contributing Editor's work and recognition in the fine art market

Carving Facial Expressions
An excerpt from Ian Norbury's new book

Carving Pattern:
Mountain Lion - George Lehman

Carving Cottonwood Bark Spirits

Carve a Hummingbird Pin
Better known for their highly detailed bird carvings, Chuck Solomon & Dave Hamilton present a simplepattern to get you started

The Chess Museum Learning from the Masters
CCA member Dave Stetson appraises the techniquesof the old-time masters for today's carvers

Regular Columns
Editor's Letter
Readers Write
Wood Carving on the Internet - Bill Judt
Classified Ads
Events Calendar

Roger Schroeders success as a writer began when he gave up trying to write the great American novel. Instead, he turned to writing about his hobby: woodworking. Sharpening his skills and his photography and expanding his interests, he went on to author 16 books and nearly 200 magazine articles. Ranging in scope from woodcarving to house building, the books include such titles as How to Carve Wildfowl, Carving Signs, Making Toys, and Timber Frame Construction, which has over 77,000 copies in print. Founding editor of Wood Carving Illustrated, Roger is past president of the Long Island Woodcarvers Association and active in the Long Island Wood Workers club. He is a retired English teacher who specialized in teaching writing and research, Roger currently lectures on topics such as how to make wood into furniture, houses and sculpture. In the remaining time, he is an amateur cabinetmaker who enjoys constructing Victorian reproductions, and is an amateur carver who has won a number of blue ribbons for his natural wood sculptures.

Ron first became interested in furniture reproduction more than 25 years ago when he started doing furniture refinishing and repairs for a small shop in his hometown of Chestertown, Maryland. Gradually, his interests focused in on reproductions of furniture from 18th century America, such as Queen Anne, Chippendale and Newport style furniture.

Today, Ron finishes eight to ten reproductions each year. In addition to carving, Ron also finds time to give lectures and teach classes about antique restoration and reproduction.

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.

Ian's ability as a wood sculptor is based on his skilled draftsmanship and a pragmatic technical approach, which gets the job done as efficiently as p0ossible regardless of method. His innovative techniques are matched by his original and imaginative subjects, which have given him financial success and an enviable reputation among art lovers in Britain.

Much of his work is based on European folklore and mythology combined with cynical tongue-in-cheek sideswipes at the pomposity of contemporary life. Hhe is equally known for his exquisitely made nude figures and portrait busts, which are the usual subjects of his teaching seminars.

Ian now lives with his wife Betty in the Republic of Ireland, but still maintains a house, studio and gallery in England.

Joyce Buchanan has taught carving for over 10 years and has won many art and carving competitions. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Chuck Solomon is a terrestrial ecologist and works primarily with endangered species in the Central Valley of California. He has been teaching carving classes and participating in carving competitions for over 15 years. He has won more than 100 ribbons at shows in Colorado, California, Alaska and Canada, including Best of Show and Best of Division. Chuck has also judged several shows in Colorado. His work consists primarily of songbirds, waterfowl and mammals, both realistic and interpretive.

Chuck currently lives in the Sacramento, California, area where he works, carves, teaches classes and is an active member of the Capital Woodcarvers Association and California Carvers Guild.

Dave Hamilton is an ecologist by profession, working primarily in the area of wetland ecology. He has been carving and competing in shows for almost 20 years. While Dave enjoys carving a variety of bird species, he specializes in hummingbirds and in the wading birds common to the wetlands he works on professionally. He also enjoys carving stylized pieces and reproductions of antique decoys. Dave lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he carves, teaches classes, and is a member of the Northern Colorado Woodcarvers.

Dave presently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has been a full-time woodcarving instructor, artist and show judge since 1996. He has won countless awards for his carvings across the country. He is available to teach seminars and has created a number of original design wood roughouts and casted study aids, which are available for sale.