2013 Autumn
2013 Autumn
2013 Autumn
WOODCARVERS
Gazette
Volume 3 - Issue 2
Autumn 2013
Interviews:
Sharon Littley
Bjarne Jespersen
Reports:
Treefest 2013
Woodentops Summer Show
Cowper & Newton Museum Visit
European Woodworking Show 2012
Gloucestershire Summer Seminar 2013
Features:
Carving Found Wood
The Structure of Trees
A sideways look at Carving Supplies
9 771753 365012
NOTICES
Membership Renewal
If you havent paid your 20 membership fee for
2013/14, please do so as soon as possible. Half
of your membership fee goes straight back to your
regional group to support your meetings and club.
Pay your Regional Leader in cash or by cheque
(with your membership number on the back)
OR
Send the Membership Secretary a cheque
(with your membership number on the back)
BWA Membership Secretary
16 Coney Hill Road,
West Wickham,
Kent
BR4 9BX
ERRATA
In Volume 3 Issue 1 of The Woodcarvers Gazette, several photos were labelled up as Mick Mills (Hamlet Wood
Region) and should have been labelled up as Mick Martin
(Essex Region). Apologies to both of you for the error.
Some of you may also have noted my typing error on
page 23 when trying to type Grinling Gibbons.
EDITORIAL
Welcome to the Autumn
issue of The Woodcarvers
Gazette. The Summer
issue seems to have been
quite a success with many
positive comments and
feedback. I have tried
to make this issue just as
good and hopefully you
will all like it just as much.
Again, please dont hold
back from making any
comments, criticism or
suggestions (my email
address is on the back
page). The Woodcarvers
Gazette is your magazine
so your opinions will be
taken into account.
I am trying to interview
woodcarvers and other
people with something
to say on the topic of
woodcarving or who have
a particular carving talent.
If you would like to be
interviewed or would like
to suggest someone for
me to interview, please
email me.
On the website www.
thewoodcarversgazette.
co.uk I have put up
Jason Townsend
3
OBITUARIES
George Wroot
George was the Retired Regional
Leader of the BWAWest Midlands
Group . He died suddenly on Sunday
14 July, just a few weeks after the
death of his wife Barbara.
He was a tireless worker for our
region, always on the front line,
building up the membership and
raising the regions profile.
He organised carving demonstrations,
events and shows. Can any of
our older members forget the
MARQUEE at Kings Heath,
How are we going to fill this with
carvings George? He did fill it; he
was never in any doubt. He was
that sort of person, a man who
could, when asked, fill a marquee.
Through George, the region donated
carvings and raised money for
charities many close to his heart;
Air Ambulance, The Lord Mayors
Charity, Alzheimers and the Stroke
Association.
By Gill Lidsey
4
Jan demonstrates
By Clive Nash
5
BWA Woodcarvers @
Cowper and Newton Museum,
House and Gardens
in Olney, Bucks
Hugh Ingram
BWA Berkshire
Some of the Berkshire region members attending a
display that they put on for a local Church Garden
Party near Reading on June 15th.
We were able to exhibit some of our members
carvings and sell some smaller items, all the proceeds
of which went to the Church Organ Fund.
By Roger Edwards
By Belinda Newstead
Luke and Ryan enjoying the soap carving
By Paula Noble
7
Tetra Knot
manual skills. The problem is not just that the kids do not
acquire those skills but that they learn they are less worth
than academic skills. The fact that these aspects of life
are closely related is not acknowledged. One of the most
remarkable books I ever read is a study of mathematics
by two cognitive psychologists (Lacoff and Nues) as a
case of how human reasoning works. They prove very
convincingly that mathematics, the most abstract subject
we have, is nothing but layers upon layers of abstractions
and generalizations by analogies based on simple concepts
such as containment and path that are acquired as
bodily experiences in early childhood. This should be
required curriculum for all coming teachers.
Wave Packet
By The Editor
9
TRE EFEST
BWA @Treefest
Westonbirt, Gloucestershire
24th 26th August 2013
The bank holiday weekend at Treefest was a huge
David Edwards
11
12
See our
extensive
range of Blanks
Dilemma, Lyn McCracken
Lots of Lime
Woodcarving
Blanks in various
shapes and
sizes
pfeil
Newly
appointed
stockist
for
Top quality
carving tools
made in
Switzerland.
The blades
are forged
from Chrome
vanadium
alloy steel.
Available
individually
or in sets.
See our
website for
the full range.
By Paula Noble
Order On-line at
13
www.toolsandtimber.co.uk
14
15
By The Editor
16
John Boddys
Up to
50% o
Woodworking Courses
woodcarving
woodturning
french polishing &
restoration
chair caning
gilding
1 to 1 courses by
arrangement
By Darren Hird
POLL
Flexcut
Arbortech
Abranet Sanding
King Arthurs Tools
Woodcarving Books
Auriou Rasps & Rifflers
www.classichandtools.co.uk
17
A Sideways Look at
Carving Supplies
Gawking at new carving tools and the huge range of
other carving-related items that I tell myself I tell are
simply indispensable to own if I am to improve my
carving skills is, for me, one of the great pleasures of
carving as a hobby. Items are added with impunity to
the Christmas present list, and even if this ends up
being ignored by friends and family, I at least have had
the joy of finding new and interesting products.
No doubt Im like others, who get inspiration and
seek out carving supplies from advertisements in
carving magazines, from the well-known websites,
or (better, but getting rare by the day) by thumbing
through catalogues from one of the good well-known
suppliers. One day, after not finding what I wanted in
the usual places, I started searching further afield on
the Net. The results were very fruitful.
My first foray was for some magnifying lenses. The
usual carving suppliers had these, but there was
generally a limited range. I then found Quicktest,
a Watford based jewellery supply company which
has a huge range of magnifiers, including the sort
surgeons wear (but much cheaper than operating
room-grade products) plus reading lamps, hand-held
magnifiers and all sorts. Of course, as their website
is badged for jewellers it is not the first that comes
to mind for carvers, or indeed the first that Google
finds when you start searching on the Web. Not
only does it have a great range, but theres very
useful explanatory text so you can identify which is
best for you. And being a jewellers supplier, it has
other things of interest to us woodies, such as bench
clamps, hand vices, polishing mops and rouge for
tool sharpening all at reasonable
prices.
See www.quicktest.co.uk
That led me to think of dental suppliers. Bracon,
for example, has a wide range of dental equipment,
including burrs for carving, as well as modelling tools
(designed to carve wax tooth models, but great if
you want to make a clay or plasticine maquette for
your next project). They do Swann Morton scalpels
too, a range of miniature saws and those pointed
scrapers that dentists use, horribly but effectively,
to probe the corners of your mouth, but which are
also ideal to add fine detail to carvings. Bracon is
at http://www.bracon.co.uk. It has a very helpful
18
By Clin Laycock
Always wanted a micro motor to do the detail work, but couldnt justify the cost?
Well now you can! With the all new Woodworks Super Detailer Range!
With prices starting at 135.00 complete
The Super Detailer NP3(S)
www.woodworkscraftsupplies.co.uk
or phone on
01633 400847
Woodworks Craft Supplies, P.O.Box 102, Caldicot NP26 9AG
19
2
1
0
2
High Jump by Ted Jeffrey
Lime
20
21
The Bridesmaid
by Maureen Hockley
Lime
Stallion
by Pat Brooks
Walnut
The Lookout
by Steven Smart
Plum
Harmony
by Steven Smart
Walnut
Orphan Owls
by Maureen Hockley
Lime
Contemplation
by Hugh Ingram
Black Walnut
Dove of peace
by Mary Ives
Lime
Otter Diving
by Gill Deacon
Redwood
22
On the beach
by Dave Hollingworth
Lime and Mahogany
Prey or Pray?
by Barbara Beard
Mahogany and Lime
A Knot of Frogs
by Sheila Humphrey
Lime
Campanology
by Barbara Beard
Lime on Mahogany
Sea Horses
by Janette Stewart
Lime
Welsh Dragon
by John Thompson
Lime on Black walnut
Smith coat-of-arms
by Anthony Smith
Lime
Spinners stool
by John Wilkins
Elm and Oak
Isabel
by Maureen Hockley
Lime
Mickey Mouse
by Peter Roberts
Lime (painted)
5t
EUROPEAN
YE
AR
WOODWORKING
SHOW
Woodworking in Action
Cressing Temple Barns,
Near Braintree, Essex
or visit
www.europeanwoodworkingshow.eu
23
Crown
Bole
(Trunk)
24
Free eBooks
eBooks are fast becoming ubiquitous and are an easy
way for people to self-publish.
Below is a link to a first-class free eBook about
Netsuke carving:
http://www.sterlingsculptures.com/
Resources_folder/Netsuke_Book_folder/
Carving_Netsuke.htm
Below is a link to a great free eBook giving tutorials
on making your own small tools, ideal for anyone
doing Netsuke or small work:
http://sculptingtools.blogspot.co.uk/
By Roland Laylock
Beverley Minster
Beverley Minster in Yorkshire is well worth a visit. cover which took six years to carve and some great
Due to it being a minister it did not suffer during the carved signs of the four apostles on the main door.
reformation, only the cathedrals had carvings smashed, It costs 3 to have a look around and take photos.
like hands and faces destroyed, which is a crime.
By Ken Willoughby
Outside stone carvings are in abundance, the
Percival stone carving is the best in Europe, so
they claim. There are Medieval misicords, a font
25
BWA Gloucester
Summer Semminar 2013
26
Lunch on Day 1
27
28
Splits
You may just know what you want to do. In that case
just do it. Think about the suggestions above. Is there
some texture that is attractive? Are there any knots or
branches that may be a starting point? Does the overall
shape or part of the shape look interesting?
For the less inspired, I would suggest drawing the piece
of wood. I can almost hear some of you saying Its
ok for him, he can draw and I cannot. Well, what I am
suggesting is more like tracing than drawing. Put your
wood on a piece of paper and draw round it. Take the
wood away and just look at the image on the paper. See
if it says anything to you. Squint at it. Turn it round.
Sleep on the problem. In desperation start again with
another piece of wood as not every piece of wood has a
sculpture inside it, what ever the ancient Greeks said. I
often leave uninspiring bits of wood on the floor of my
workshop. As I trip over them, I move them to a new
position and see them in a new light. I repeat this until
inspiration dawns or the wood finds an out of the way
corner.
You may find it helpful to make a Plasticine model of the
wood, actual size for small pieces or scaled down for the
bigger bits. I find measuring the wood in inches and the
model in cms is useful, so a 36 piece of wood make a
36cm model, i.e. a third size. You can carve your model
to see if your ideas are possible. The model should only
be as detailed as necessary to solve the current problem;
it can be updated if you meet further problems during the
carving process.
With found wood you have lost some of the usual design
aids that you get with normal square timber carving, a
front and side view and the clear picture in your mind of
where you are going from the start of the carving. The
model will help.
Having decided on your design, you will have to sort out
where the base will be. On a normal carving project, you
will probably have bought an extra bit of wood so that
you have somewhere to hold it. On Found wood, you
might have to screw or glue some wood to your base so
it can be held. If, as with the Splits, there is no actual base
and nowhere to hold it, I carve it carefully holding the
wood between my knees.
From here on it is just like a normal carving project. You
have your idea and/or a Plasticine model to refer to, and
all your woodcarving skills and tools.
By John Adamson
MEMBERS GALLERY
Owl Babies
By Brian Rogers
Wedding Favour
By Kate Press
Wistmans Wood
By Jerry Hughes
The Wolf
By Gerry Guiver
The Indian
By Gerry Guiver
30
BWA Shropshire
Celebrates 20 Years
To mark the 20th Anniversary of the Shropshire
Branch of the BWA, members celebrated with a
Garden Party at which a birthday cake decorated
with the club logo was cut by founder members
Heather and Chris. As part of the celebration
members were given the competitive challenge of
creating carvings based on the theme of 20 with a
Dremel 4000 kindly donated by Dremel as the prize.
This stimulated a fascinating and ingenious range of
carvings.
Carvings on display
By Jerry Hughes
31
Region
Leader
Phone Number
Email Address
Mid-Thames
Roger Edwards
mid-thames@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Les Wilkins
devon-cornwall@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
David Shires
durham@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Essex
Ken Veal
essex@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Gloucestershire
gloucestershire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Mick Mills
maidstone@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Hampshire
John Tybjerg
hampshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Hertfordshire
Stan Kimm
hertfordshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Jersey
Eric Payn
jersey@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Kent, Wormshill
David Howard
kent@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Lancashire
Sarah Lawrenson
lancashire-cheshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Leicestershire
Martyn Neal
leicestershire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
0 H Boyd
lincsandyorks@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Martin Howells
w.essex@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Thomas Young
w.kent@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Belinda Newstead
norfolk-suffolk@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Roland Laycock
nottsandderby@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
North Staffordshire
Tom Buttress
n.staffordshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Eileen Walker
n.wales@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Brian Eastoe
oxandbucks@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
John Wright
e.midlands@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Andrew Clark
n.yorkshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Shropshire
Meriel Brown
shropshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Clive Firth
cumbria@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
South Wales
Derek Edwards
s.wales@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Warwickshire
Mick Kitchen
warwickshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
West Midlands
Tony Newton
w.midlands@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Yorkshire
Paul Schofield
yorkshire@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Officer
Phone Number
Email Address
Chairman
Mark Davis
chairman@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
National Secretary
Lynn Kimm
secretary@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Treasurer
Bryan Corbin
treasurer@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Membership Secretary
Roger Timms
membership@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Editor
Jason Townsend
editor@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Regional Liason
Eileen Walker
liason@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Website Manager
Graeme Murray
webmaster@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
Publicity
Paula Noble
publicity@britishwoodcarversassociation.co.uk
32
www.britishwoodcarversassocation.co.uk