The Blackhawk Woodcarver

Volume XXV, Issue 6      June 2020

Blackhawk Carving Club

We will not meet again until further notice.

Peterson Meadows, 6401 Newburg Rd, Rockford, IL 61108. We normally meet from 8:30 to 11:00 am for open carving. Business Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month. Friends and spouses of carvers were welcome to come to meet and visit and carvers are encouraged to bring in finished carvings for “Show & Tell” the third Wednesday of the month. Our mailing address remains P. O. Box 8285 Rockford, IL 61126. 

 

Presidents Report  June 2020

“Did you hear that Blackhawk Woodcarvers extended all 2020 memberships through 2021! Wow! What a
club!

These four guys made that proclamation on the Blackhawk Woodcarvers Facebook page. For those of you who might be concerned about the lack of face masks on these characters, I wish to point out that they are not the same flesh and blood as the rest of us members. I checked with a medical doctor who stated there is no evidence of basswood figures contacting or transmitting any virus. For those of you that did see it and other posts on our Facebook page, I hope you enjoy the shared images of various carvings and some of the humor. My favorites are the weekly posts by John Overton, Dry Creek Carvings where he posts a carved figure or two with an Ole and Lena joke. I hope it helps give each of you a laugh to offset the seriousness of our current difficulties.

Back to our extension of the 2020 memberships through 2021. I did present that proposal to you via this column last month. I tried to be very detailed in its description and I included mention of the reason and the lack of negative impact on the club finances. Please refer back to that issue via our website if you desire. I will also try to explain any detail or respond to any questions you might have regarding this.

I received positive reaction and approval of this proposal by well over half of the membership. I received no negative reactions. I want to reiterate that this is a one time extension and only applies to 2020 paid membership. This will also apply to anyone who joins or rejoins during the 2020 calendar year with the required dues payment. It is not applicable to 2019 or earlier members who do not renew for 2020. In addition, anyone joining in 2021 will be required to pay the normal annual dues and will only receive a 2021 membership.

I do hope this is all clear to you. Please view this as a benefit of our club which is in very good financial shape. It is also a way of compensation for the lost club group sessions due to the current virus concerns and the serious need to stay physically separated to slow the spread of the virus. Please stay health both physically and mentally.        Tyrone Johnsen

 

Blackhawk Carving Club Minutes April 2020

 A meeting was not held, therefore no minutes.

Dignity Sculpture

Take a look at a beautiful sculpture.  Look up "Dignity Sculpture - Chamberlain, South Dakota."  It is fifty feet tall and made of stainless steel.

Don Stansfield

 

Whittling In Your Free Time

Fox Chapel Publishing has a new fun carving book for little caricature animals entitled "Whittling In Your Free Time".  Check it out on their website.  

The sizes in the book are too small to be easily held to carve.  You can enlarge them 125% and they are still cute.  

If you want to talk about them, give me a call in a late afternoon or evening.

 There's too much gloom out there.  Carve something to put a smile on your face.

Don Stansfield  (815-235-0075)  

 

July Birthdays (that we Know of)

3 Richard Dunphey          21 Tod Wisner
 5 Ed Vitell                         22 Jerome Mais
 7 Dona Wisner                22 Bob Coleman
 17 Steve Johnson

Facebook

Like us on Facebook “Blackhawk Woodcarvers”.  Many pictures and information.

Door Prizes

Don't forget the Door Prize drawing on First Wednesdays. Bring something you don't need or want anymore, but know someone would be thrilled to win at the drawing.

Want to buy or sell

If you have anything that you would like to buy or sell send me an email and I will put it in the newsletter.   Gordy

Passed Treasured Carvings

At our monthly meetings members are encouraged to bring in SHOW and TELL items along with carvings that are tucked away from the past.  Even though you might be tired of looking at them, they may be teaching tools for others. Dust them off, bring them in!

Club Officers    (815 aera code)

Present            Tyrone Johnsen  397-9274
Vice Present    Richard Dumphy   633-9003
Treasurer         Larry Stenzel   389-4714
Secretary         Steve Terrill   708-0471

Committees       (815 aera code)

Programs, Richard Dunphey, 633-9003
Webmaster & Newsletter Editor Gordy Moscinski  874-7978
Membership  Chuck  Drewes   985-8575
Photographer  Steve Terrill
Picnic   Tony Devita

 

Activity Schedule

The following shows and classes are for the information that we have at this time.  Due to the Covid situation, these activities are being cancelled or rescheduled.  Please check the website of these club activities for the latest development.

  Keep sending  pictures for Behind Closed Doors

 Deadline for news for the next newsletter is July 1, 2020

 

Mid-Wisconsin Chippers Woodcarving Club

The Mid-Wisconsin Chippers Woodcarving Club at the Oshkosh Convention Center.    Cancelled

A wonderful day is being planned including:
“How to Get Started in Woodcarving” Presentation
A Pyrography Demonstration
Chainsaw Carving
Carving Tool Sharpening by Denny Neubauer of Denny Tool fame.
Carving tool vendor
County Line Products (Uncle Al’s Basswood} wood vendor
Competition will Judge entries from 26 categories for Master, Open, Intermediate, Novice and Youth Skill Levels
Our latest Woodcarver patch

 

Wisconsin River Woodcarvers       Stevens Point, WI

Featured Carvers:
Vic Hood and Gregg Thompson

Also Featured:
We are also featuring supplies from Hummel Carving Company, Beloit, WI, and Moore Wood and Roughouts.
Free demonstrations throughout both days, and 2 sessions of free kids’ carving!
We have an awesome RAFFLE!

When: September 19, 2020 – 9am to 5pm, September 20, 2020 – 9am to 4pm
Event Schedule-TBD

Where: The Holiday Inn, 1001 Amber Avenue, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54482

Admission Prices: Admission is $5.00. (Attendees 12 and under are free)

Questions? For more information, contact: Ron O’Kray, 715-341-2214, 715-570-2534(cell) or Greg Wirtz, 715-423-0471, 715-323-2035(cell).  WisconsinRiverWoodcarvers.org

Caricature Carving Class with Wayne Laramore (CCA Member)

$125.00 Plus roughout. July 18 and 19 at 9:00 to 5:00.  Place: Bill Mitton’s house 22911  94th Ave N. Port Byron, IL 61275.  Any Questions call 309.235.9105.

ROCK RIVER VALLEY CARVERS of WISCONSIN, INC.

15th Annual SHOW AND SALE

 Saturday, September 26, 2020  9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

 FEATURED CARVER  Ernie Tucker
FREE ADMISSION

Carvers, Vendors, Chain Saw Carver, Demonstrations. People's Choice Awards, Raffle

 

Rock County Fair Grounds  Craig Center, 1301 Craig Avenue, Janesville, WI. 53545

People’s Choice Competition

All entries for People’s Choice must be at the display tables no later than 8:30 AM

There will be FOUR categories: NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, OPEN, and PYROGRAPHY.

If you have won a blue ribbon in a category, you must advance to the next category.

 All tables must have table coverings to the floor, preferably with skirts, plastic or otherwise. All tables are 6 foot in length.

 Show Chairman(s) — Brad Crandall – (608) 931-0188

bwkicrandall@gmail.com   www.rockrivervalleycarvers.com

A look behind closed doors

 

I haven’t done any burning or carving at all lately but here’s some older stuff.  The scorpion was one of my very early burnings.  Not great but it did appear in Chip Chats magazine so it’s kind of special to me.  The dog is one I did for a buddy’s birthday (it’s a pudelpointer – his hunting dog and best friend) a couple years ago.  I don’t think I ever brought it for show and tell.  The ’54 Chevy was a commission I did last year.  I don’t think I ever brought that in for show and tell, either.  Larry Stenzel

 

A simple maple leaf. I got the blank from the 1st meeting of the month give away. It's only about 4 inches wide. Not sure of the wood. Finished with tung oil.   Chuck Drewes

 

A "pair of pears" in bass wood. Ten inches tall, finished with a light stained coat of boiled linseed oil. A little more involved than the leaf.     Chuck Drewes

 

Are we having fun yet!  Working on a barn, with mountains behind-the-barn vs clouds in the photo.  

Bob Matthews

 

Bob Coleman

Bob Coleman

This is my latest wizard.

John Martin

 

I finished and placed my acorn next to my leaf. Always possible to make adjustments; but I like to think this is finished. Been a long road.
             Tyrone  Johnsen

 

This was a Carousel Horse that I started in 2006 from plans in the Woodcarving Illustrated magazine.  It went unfinished for 14 years.  On the first day of quarantine I took it off the shelf and started carving.  After several weeks of carving our granddaughter requested that it become a Carousel Unicorn.  She then became the advisor for the metallic painting. 

Gordy Moscinski

 

A big thank you to all who contributed pictures and commentary for this newsletter.  Great job!

Keep sending your pictures by the July 1 deadline.