The Blackhawk Woodcarver
Volume XXVI, Issue 1
Presidents Report
January 2021
Happy New Year to all! We all hope
that 2021 will be much better than 2020. Hope is always very important. But,
we have a long ways to go. COVID-19 is still a major concern and is keeping
us away from being able to resume group meetings. I am hopeful that we will
be able to be in a safe enough environment that we might be able to resume
in person carving sessions and meetings by mid year. Unfortunately, that is
still too many months away.
On the bright side, I do hope you
found in your Christmas socking our gift to you of a yearly extension to
your club membership. I know we let that “secret” out of the bag long
before. But it never hurts to have bright spots.
We did distribute about 15 carve
ornaments by four of our members to a couple of area organizations: Peterson
Meadows, Cherry Valley Public Library, and a couple of churches.
Your four elected officers for 2021
are on the job, as we were in 2020. We have continued to monitor the club
activities and finances. We did have quite a few weekly carving sessions in
Sinnissippi Park during the late Summer and into the Fall before the morning
temperatures kept us at home in the warmth. We did try to contact all of you
around Thanksgiving time. In general, everyone appears to be in good
spirits, many carving at home, but missing our in person club carving
sessions. We missed being able to hold our wonderful Christmas Party.
Our newsletter continues to function
as our primary method of group connection. Think of it also as our monthly
“Show and Tell”. I believe Roger Benedict has an article or two in this
issue which should help each of us to know a little more about our fellow
members. It is an extension of his panel discussion he lead a couple years
ago. Share your story!
Tyrone Johnsen
Blackhawk Carving Club Minutes November 2020
A meeting was not held, therefore no
minutes
Basswood
Carvers make a beeline Among
the most important of America's nectar-producing trees, the basswood makes
itself at home along city streets as well as in the forest. In cityscapes,
nurserymen call the hardy, decorative tree American linden. But in the
woods, it's basswood, beetree, lime, or whitewood. Regardless of its name,
basswood has proven its value. Indians of New York state's Iroquois nation
carved ceremonial masks from the sapwood of living basswood trees, then
split the green-wood masks from the trunk. The gummy inner bark provided
bandages. And from its dried fibers they wove rope.
Beekeepers even today appreciate the
quality of basswood-derived honey. In summer, the tree's fragrant flower
clusters provide a strong-flavored nectar. Basswood stock also becomes the
very boxes in which the honeycombs are stored and shipped.
Carving comments
It would be hard to find a wood more
perfect for carving. A sharp knife or gouge slides through it as if cutting
butter. And the finish of a clean cut looks lustrous.
· Because basswood
takes fine detail, it's great for relief, figure, and chip carving.
· Basswood requires
control or your carving tool may go further along a stroke than planned.
Strengthen details subject to
breakage with a thinned coat of woodworker's glue (it won't take stain)
worked into the wood.
Uses in woodworking
Carvers prefer basswood because it
holds detail well, doesn't split, has straight-grain, and carves easily.
They usually prefer air-dried, slow-grown northern stock. Basswood also can
become drawer stock, hidden furniture parts, and painted items. In industry,
it plays a role as boxes and food containers. As veneer, it can underlie
fine cabinet woods in plywood. This light, versatile wood also works for
picture frames, toys, and millwork such as window sashes. It even makes fine
turning wood.*
*April 13th 2000 Wood
Magazine
Jayne Pheiffer
Former Blackhawk Carvers club member
Jayne Pheiffer celebrated her 100-hundredth
birthday Friday, December 18! She is a very special lady.
I received a note from Jayne
Pheiffer Thanking everyone for her birthday cards. She
included "I have such good memories of the Blackhawk Carvers. It has
been so wonderful to be remembered through the years. Turning 100 has
been pretty exciting. I recommend it to you all. Happy Holidays!
Love, Jayne" .
Thanks, Don Stansfield
Carving
woods for sale
Del Lohr of Cedar Ridge Hardwoods
called me to ask if we would let the club members know that he has a large
inventory of carving woods, including basswood, butternut (both clear and
wormy), catalpa, pine, cherry, etc. He can provide all widths,
thicknesses and lengths. Del used to sell his wood at our annual
shows. His phone number is 815-938-2263.
Don Stansfield
February Birthdays (that we Know of)
6 Gary Curl
6 David Van Barriger
16 Gary Lundquist
13 Nancy Mayfield
25 Arne Larsen
26 Gordy Moscinski
Vice Present
Treasurer Larry Stenzel
389-4714
Secretary Steve Terrill
708-0471
Committees
Programs, Richard Dunphey, 633-9003
Webmaster & Newsletter Editor Gordy Moscinski 874-7978
Membership Chuck Drewes 985-8575
Photographer Steve Terrill
Picnic Tony Devita
Carvers
wanted
Sometimes I get calls from people
wanting to have a carving done (for money). If you are interested in
any of these contacts, let me know and what kind of carvings you are
interested in doing for people. Don Stansfield,
woodchip1508@comcast.net
Influenced To Be a Woodcarver----by Roger Benedict
Woodcarving for me has been a
lifelong passion beginning as a youngster when making a slingshot.
Having a slingshot in my neighborhood was a big deal, similar with
peer pressure within my circle of buddies. But make them
we did. My woodcarving (pocket knife) began with carving
the slingshot’s fork from a tree branch. Ideally the
forked tree branch had to be just right when searching through the
neighborhood timbers. However, nature did not agree with
my buddy slingshot shooters. We had to settle for the
simplest branch close to the ground to begin the fork.
This truly began my woodcarving passion when I had to whittle the branch to
suit the best ever looking slingshot fork. The real challenge was to carve
the grooves to tightly hold the “inner-tube” sling with a wrapped string
about the fork’s arms. Among other materials to explore woodcarving were
discarded wooden orange crates from the neighborhood grocery store, whereby
the crate’s ends of pine were used for my carving. Here
is where I carved (again pocket knife) some airplanes and boats. Then I
discovered balsa wood along with X-Acto knives that opened up a new frontier
for my carvings and model making. A few decades later a
good friend, Jack Lichtenheld, introduced me to formal woodcarving and the
Blackhawk Woodcarvers----later, as many other members have done, I took
Gordy’s carving class.
Now it is your turn to tell us how
you began as a woodcarver. Recall in November 2018 we had
a panel discussion of five carvers about their influence to begin
woodcarving. Here is your opportunity to answer the same
questions and obviously relate to your reasons for being a woodcarver:
--What was your life style or
situation that encouraged you to become a woodcarver?
--Who influenced you in your carving
journey, and why?
--Assuming you developed a niche,
why did you choose it?
--Over the years what have you
gained from this experience?
This could be of great interest for
you to truly answer these questions that may provide more depth with old
decisions to wood carve. On the other hand I am sure the
membership would enjoy reading about you; with, purely voluntarily, placing
your answers in the monthly newsletter. Therefore,
everyone benefits from this project.
I am recommending that you submit
your comments to me online,
rjbetti@comcast.net, and
with your permission they will be printed in the monthly newsletters. This
is a great opportunity to expand our knowledge of each other where I suspect
we all have similar reasons for our woodcarving passions.
Take care and keep your tools sharp
Roger
Benedict Interview of Tyrone Johnsen, 31 Dec 2020
Roger: What was your
life style or situation that encouraged you to wood carve?
Tyrone:
This is sort of a two step or two phase event. I first did
some wood carving as a Boy Scout. Using my jack knife, I would carve some
sort of figure out of a smaller tree branch. Specifically, I remember
carving a sailboat with a fixed keel and the mast out of a twig which was
force fit into a hole. No glue or other tools. Then the head of an old
bearded man which I gave to my father. Much later, I created a totem pole
out of a landscape timber using my circular saw and a hammer and (dull)
chisel. This had the “totems” of each of my son’s Y Indian Guides members on
it. It still stands in our back yard.
The next phase, within the last ten
years came as a result of my visiting my friend Larry Stenzel and the
Blackhawk Woodcarvers annual shows. I also noted a beginning wood carving
class being offered by CLR (Center for Learning in Retirement); and I
enrolled. This was my first exposure to the dedicated wood carving knife. It
also lead to my joining Blackhawk Woodcarvers.
I should add that I have always
liked art, especially sculpture, and making things. Wood carvings are
usually three dimensional, as is sculpture, and that is a
reason to draw me.
Roger: Who influenced you in your carving career and
why?
Tyrone: Certainly, Larry Stenzel and then Don Stanfield
are the ones who showed me the way to “serious” wood carving and Blackhawk
Woodcarvers.
Roger:
Asuming you developed a niche, why did you choose itTyrone:
I believe I do have a preference. I think I really enjoy figures.
Especially human figures; and humorous ones or caricatures. Enter Denny
Neubauer and his little caricatures and I really enjoyed that. Even
caricatures of animals, real or imagined!
Roger:
Over the years what have you gained from this experience?
Tyrone: Because
I am relatively new to what I call more serious woodcarving, my experience
with Don’s class and Blackhawk Woodcarvers has had a tremendous influence on
my carving knowledge and ability. My exposure of the tools beyond a jack
knife, the sharpening of them, and the techniques have provided my with
gains beyond my expectations. As a true beginner about five years ago, my
knowledge and ability has gained at a fantastic rate. The slope of this
learning then starts to reduce to a more moderate increase; but there is
always more to learn and enlighten me.
Let’s
get creative
We would like to challenge all
members of the club to share a bird(s) for the FEBRUARY newsletter.
It can be one that you have already carved, painted, woodburned, chip
carved etc. We have great diversity in our club, we wish to showcase this
talent. Send them in by February 3rd 2021.
Thank
You
A big thank you to all who
contributed pictures and commentary for this newsletter.
Great job! Keep the knives sharp!
Keep sending your pictures by the
February 3, 2021 deadline.
I
let someone borrow this carving as a guide. Please
let me
know who has it and how I can get it back. Thanks
(I am in big trouble with my wife.
This is one of her favorites!)
Gordy Moscinski
815.874.7978
A
special snowman issue
Phyllis Hogberg sent if these cute
little guys.
Jerry Robey carved one staying safe.
Tony Devita carved a snowman getting
into the holiday spirit.
Tyrone Johnsen shared a carving that
was given as an ornament.
Mr and Mrs Snow People. Carved and
painted basswood back in.
Chuck Drewes
I wish to submit that Santa and Mr
Snowman are happy it is now 2021. Happy new year.
John Martin
Denny and Becky Neubauer join their
talents. Denny woodburned the snowmen and Becky wove the
frames.
Denny Neubauer carved a snowman that
seems to be keeping himself warm.
Gordy Moscinski has
experimented with a variety of materials to create snowmen.
The small gourds were from Louis Jurisch’s garden.
Steps to
carving a cardinal by Bob Mathews
1. Cutout
2. Rounding
3. Shaping Tail
4. Detailing Tail
5. Shaping Wings
6. Detailing Back
Feathers
7. Detailing
Wings
8. Detailing
Breast
This page
features a series of pictures showing the steps in carving a cardinal from
the cutout till it is ready to wood burn. This is out of Basswood. In
February, I will finish the Cardinal by woodburning, mounting, and painting
Bob Matthews
A Stylized Wren. I found this
in a carving book published in 1938, called Whittling by Bill Higginbotham.
It is carved out of Calalpa and finished with Krylon and Paste Wax.
Bob Matthews
Here are two horses I burned for my
two granddaughters for Christmas. They take riding lessons and I did a
portrait of each girl’s favorite horse at the stables.
Larry Stenzel
My fall/winter project. "Winter
Sleighs" chip carved from a pattern from My Chip Carving.
Gary Johnson
The little guy is happy that 2020 is
gone. First caving of the year (2021).
Denny Neubauer
Split Rock Lighthouse, North Shore,
Lake Superior, MN given as a gift to our son and his wife who is from
Duluth.
Gordy Moscinski