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CHIP CHATTER NEWSLETTERROCK RIVER VALLEY Blackhawk Woodcarvers at Kenrock Community Center 3218 11th Street, Rockford, IL Vol. No. 14 Issue No. 5, May 2007
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MEETING TIMES We meet twice a month at Kenrock Community Center on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM. The third Tuesday night gathering is the business meeting generally with a guest speaker. Next meeting is May 15th. We also meet every Wednesday mornings at Kenrock Community Center for open carving for members and non-members, which is from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. |
APRIL MEETING NOTES
Bob Hallstrom provided 4 x 4-inch blocks for the spherical carving competition. We have two more blocks left; thus two more carvers could take a crack at this challenge.
Presentation was by Richard Andersen who gave an interesting talk on how to build a rocking horse. He explained how he made templates to get the right proportions for the horse. Also, his trail and error painting method was explained for achieving a realistic horse. A beautiful smaller rocking horse was shown that looked like the large horse. We learned that there is more than meets the eye to design and build a rocking horse-----good job, Rich.
APRIL MEETING SHOW & TELL
John Bibby----Chip carved sign for over a fireplace
Marshall Field---carved small mouse
Larry Christensen---Cottonwood bark carving tree house and five Halloween pins (pumpkins.)
CLEARING OFF THE BENCH
This is the last of five series about "carving skill levels" from an article writen by John Connely published in the November-December 1997 Chip Chats magazine. This was a report of a study undertaken to define several levels of carving and related skill development.
This final series covers the "master carver," which from geographical areas of the USA and Europe there will be varying definitions. With my experience from Geisler-Moroder in Austria I find Connely's definition is too broad and lacks depth. However for the sake of promising a completion of the five part series, here are Connely's thoughts. "Originally the word master implies a long-term apprenticeship under a person identified as a master carver. Apprentices underwent long periods of specialized training and very low reimbursement for their efforts. In brief, they learned a trade as a subordinate and were indentured for a long period of time. The term master carver is now used to identify a person as being one of the top carvers in a geographical area. Today experienced woodcarvers are usually viewed as being masters. The two classifications advanced and master are intertwined. One prevailing characteristic of advanced or master carvers is that they are excellent teachers. The carving skills required for both classifications are basically the same."
Personally I have seen many excellent wood carvers who are creative and original, but would not define them as master carvers. Connelly's definitions do not go far enough and minimizes the master title. My conclusion (from some research on this subject) is that for a master carver one must include additional characteristics as:
1) Provide a large scope of carving objects, and not limited to one specialty
2) Be a teacher and have a carving school
3) Make a living from his or her carving works---has notoriety
4) Be a published author of carving books
5) Trained by a master carver
My limited association with two Midwestern American carvers, Ivan Whillock and Joe Dillett, leads me to believe that these two individuals are real Master wood carvers.
Keep you tools sharp
Roger Benedict
CALENDAR EVENTS
May 15th---Roger Benedict will lead a carving session to carve a house/building scene in a relief carving (tools needed).
June 16th---Rockford Art Museum tour of "He & She" exhibition
June 19th---To be determined
July 17th---To be determined
August 4th---Blackhawk Woodcarvers 13th annual woodcarving show at Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden
FUTURE CARVING SHOWS
June 18-24----International Woodcarvers Congress, Seminars & Show at Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds Davenport/Bettendorf, IA. Contact Larry or Carol Yudis (563)-359-6344 www.awcitrd.org
July 7----Lake County Carvers 27th Annual Show/Competition, Dept of Public Works. Delafield, WI Contact Mike Niemczk (414) 462-6344
August 4----Blackhawk Woodcarvers annual show and competition at Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Rockford, IL. Contact Roger Benedict (815) 397-8910
September 18 through 21----Gathering of Carvers (GOW) at Somonauk, IL Registration for classes is now open, contact Bob Mau. Have 16 instructors, over 35 seminars, hosts are Joe and Sharon Dillett
MISC WOOD CHIPS
NEXT MEETING PRESENTATION
Roger Benedict will lead a carving session on how to carve buildings in a relief. Through a study of perspective drawing with hidden projection points, he has discovered a simple method to carve buildings. By simply visualizing buildings as an assortment of intersecting plane surfaces instead of walls and roofs, the wood removal is therefore easy to understand and fun to observe the building emerging from the wood. Bring your tools---gouges and a V-tool (s). The wood and pattern will be provided.
ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM TOUR
Two world famous Swedish artists, Vallien's, are exhibiting their cast glass art, that is stunning beyond belief-----worth every minute to take advantage of this opportunity. The artists, Ulrica Hydman-Vallien and Bertil Vallien have developed glass casting designs into an art form. This is the first time they have exhibited together in the USA, where as individually they have shown in the galleries of many USA metropolitan cities. Given the Swedish tradition in Rockford you may find this of high interest. Mark your calendar for a guided tour by Roger Benedict on Saturday, June 16th beginning at 10:30 am.
2007 ANNUAL CARVING SHOW
Our 13th annual show is on Saturday, August 4th Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden. If you remorse in July or August that you did not know about the show, you must have been living on another planet. The critical tasks are completed:
Bob Hallstrom is handling the volunteer list (see him to get on the list)
Paul Miller, vendor, will return this year
Two judges are committed, Dave Seagraves and Jay Brost
Rich Andersen has singed up Rock River Deli to provide the food service
Don Stansfield is once more handling the show & competition registration
Tod Wisner is becoming acquainted and assisting with publicity
Gary Meyer is handling the posters
Tony DeVita with Marshall Field's assistance is again handling the raffle
Klehm Arboretum is ready for the show date
John Wacker is handling the 8-foot tables
Larry Clark our official photographer
And last but not least Elaine & Gale Terrell will be at the reins with Don during the time of judging.
FOR SALE
Dray Everett, a Rockford old-timer carver, is liquidating some of his power tools, and anyone interested should contact him at (815) 399-8886
THE GATHERING AT MACKTOWN by Dona & Tod Wisner
The annual Gathering at Macktown is a strange, friendly gathering of Native Americans, trappers, fur traders, militia men, French voyageurs, frontiersmen, and a variety of camp followers. They all get together every year to recreate and re-enact life on the early American frontier. Specifically, as life was being lived during the times around 1830 to 1860 in Macktown, Illinois.
The event is amazing . . . everything is authentic . . . from the white ("tattle-tale gray") canvas tents in many sizes and shapes; to life-sized teepees and hogans of the Native Americans; to living conditions. Everyone lived in tents, grouped according to whatever role they were re-enacting. The Native Americans even had a sweat lodge! Everyone cooked over open wood fires, sometimes with only the crudest support for the food and kettles.
The event started Thursday evening when the re-enactors came in, and set up camp. It lasted through Sunday afternoon. Friday was Education Day: fifth and sixth graders were bussed in for a "living history" experience. There were over 1500 students this year. It was a veritable anthill of kid activity. Saturday and Sunday were for the general public.
Roger Benedict, social secretary for the Blackhawk Woodcarvers, had volunteered Woodcarvers to demonstrate frontier-type carving. Several members signed up for specific days and times. Tony DeVita, Bob Hallstrom, Roger, and Dona and I signed up for Friday. Rich Andersen, Bob Hallstrom, Marshall Field, Carl Hicks, and Roger signed up for Saturday. Dona and I Later learned there were no one for Sunday, so we volunteered for that too.
On Friday, "School Day," Tony, Bob, and Roger were assigned to a bench by the Stephen Mack House. (An actual restoration of the original home that Mack had built.) Dona and I were put on a bench by the old limestone trading post and carved small wooden things called "lasettes" that frontier people used to braid weak cotton or linen yarn into stronger, more useful cordage. Tony carved wooden cooking tools (spoon and big fork), Bob made wooden flour/grain scoops, and Roger worked on a vase of flowers. On Saturday Bob and Roger carved their same objects, Rich carved figurines for a Noah collection, and Marshall and Carl carved canes. On Sunday Dona and I continued carving the "lasettes "; however this time at the Steven Mach's house.
Between all the talking, the gunfire from the skirmish, and the intense sunshine, we were Pooped! And we hadn’t left the bench all day. We finally took off for home before the show was over.
The Gathering at Macktown has much to buy, and much to see and learn. The re-enactors are amazing in their skills and knowledge of historical things. It would probably take all day to get around to every tent, and absorb it all. So much to see. So much to learn. So many interesting people to visit with.
_________Dona & Tod Wisner
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A QUOTE from_____Harry S. Truman" I you can't convince them, confuse them" "If you can not stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" "The buck stops here" |
The Blackhawk Woodcarvers was founded in 1993 and has a goal of preserving and encouraging the art of woodcarving. Membership is open to anyone having any skill level of carving, including those who have never carved and want to learn about carving.
Blackhawk Woodcarvers
1921 Boscobel Court
Rockford, IL 61107
