Wood carvings by Maura
Wood carvings by Maura
So, You really want to be a woodcarver?
The State of Woodcarving in America Today
It was my original intention to simply write something positive about the state of woodcarving today and post it on my site as something that could encourage a beginner. I wanted them to understand, what I, with no formal training, was able to accomplish in a short while. I wanted them not to be discouraged by their sometimes slow progress and to understand that woodcarving would only give to them, what they gave back to it.
I have spent the last few months in contact with carvers of all distinctions, in person, by e-mail, snail mail and by phone, from all corners of the USA and even from some foreign countries. I have met and spoken to some great carvers and have gotten to know them a bit more as people. I feel privileged to have had this opportunity to look beyond my immediate carving world and to touch the carving world as a whole. There will be no greater woodcarving education for me as long as I live. Thank You one and all for the experience!
When the idea of writing this dissertation developed, I understood that, although I am fully immersed in the field of woodcarving, that my only perspective was that of a recent novice, turned intermediate woodcarver. I do not at this time make my living from woodcarving but am on my way. It’s funny how I just feel it in my bones. There is no describing the feeling of having discovered one's destiny. At this time, I do not have the years of experience and expertise that some other carvers have behind them. Being well aware of this shortcoming on my part, I thought it would be a good idea if I could go directly to those who are successful in the field of carving, either as full-time professional carvers, instructors, part time hobbyists or business people in the industry. I sent out emails to all those I know personally or have had internet contact with. I simply wanted to know what they thought about the state of woodcarving in America, today. I asked them for their personal opinions on this subject and told them that they could approach the subject in any manner they wished, from a historical vantage, a marketing perspective, as an artist, or just based on their personal experiences in woodcarving.
I appreciate each and every reply that I received in return. When the responses started rolling in, it was originally my plan to take bits and pieces of all the replies and turn them into a generalized 'the state of woodcarving today' collective opinion. But after reading all the replies, I felt these replies should be reprinted just the way that I received them, with only personal comments to me omitted from them. I learned so much in reading them and feel that there is no better knowledge and encouragement that any novice carver could ever receive. I feel that each reply is important enough to stand on its’ own merit.
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That being said, here are the complete replies, in the order they were received.
What is the State of Woodcarving in America, today?
Loren Woodard
I'm a part time wood carver and a full time Commercial Real Estate Appraiser. I do have some thoughts on the state of wood carving and I will be more than happy to share them.
In my opinion, the art of woodcarving is not growing as fast as I would like. I belong to four different clubs, carve at Valley Road Woodcarving in Silver Dollar City, Missouri, and teach woodcarving at the local Vocational School where I live. In addition, I'm the President of the Lake of the Ozarks Woodcarving Club. I have held every office that the club has. Most of the carvers in all of these venues are in the older generation. We need to do something to attract younger folks into carving. While it is true that one must work harder and longer hours to make ends meet in today's world, it is also true that one must find a way to relax to maintain their health.
I enjoy carving almost everything. Do I carve everything well? No, however, if I'm carving to sell, I carve what I know best. I enjoy carving Native Americans and the old west. However, if I'm carving to sell in my market area I generally carve Santa Claus, Angels, and Christmas ornaments. I have recently become very interested in fish carving. To me, there is nothing more satisfying that producing a realistic piece of nature. I have also found that there is a good market in my area for aquatic carvings.
Many feel that woodcarving is a craft and not art. However, I feel that it is a craft that can be brought up to art. Many carvers are perfectly happy just carving a small project for their own enjoyment and I think that is great. However, there are others that will never be happy with what they do and are continually striving to improve. To me, this is where the aspect of art comes into the carving arena. One person can carve a bust and it is craft. The next person carves the same bust, paying special attention to detail and does a masterful job of its presentation. This is where art comes into play. Not all carvings are works of art and that is fine as long as the carver enjoyed the process.
Woodcarving can be a full time venue for some. However, I have seen many good carvers not be able to make the kind of money that they need to make to sustain them in the manner that they would like. To me, if a person wants to become a professional woodcarver they should make sure that the area where they reside will support a full time carver. There are many areas in our country where a woodcarver would be out of business faster than it took to set it up. They should study the market to see what will sell and strive to become proficient in carving for that market. Personally, I love creating Native American carvings but they are very slow sellers in my market area. If I were to make my living in the Lake of the Ozarks region carving I would probably need to do architectural carving. In fact, many successful carvers work in this arena doing mantels, corbels, furniture carving, repairing antique carved furniture, etc.
Finally, I know many professional carvers. The most successful of those that I know offset their carving income by teaching carving. Can a person make a living carving? I believe so. However, I believe that they will need to be good at marketing, must carve marketable products, and will need to be very good at managing their time.
Loren Woodard
Sunrise Beach, MO
George Chau
Woodcarving Renaissance by George Chau
(originally printed as an article in Chip Chats magazine).
Based on my years of experience in retail and in woodcarving instruction, I am firmly convinced that we are about to enter a great period of woodcarving revival. However, there is a temporary gap of a few years which I can safely describe as our woodcarving “dark ages” - the period after elderly woodcarvers lay down their tools due to health and other reasons, and before the arrival of the next generation of woodcarvers.
For the decades past, I have taught woodcarving in colleges, community centers, and in my own studio. I have sold more than 1,500 pieces of woodcarving. In my experience, I have found that almost 99% of my students and customers were baby boomers, 60% of whom were women. Of course, I have the occasional student in his 80's or her teens. Most of my students have demanding fulltime jobs. Some love woodcarving lessons so much that they are willing to travel 2 hours each way to attend.
Unfortunately, some of the woodworking-related businesses like Constantine's and Woodworkers' Warehouse in the New York Area, have been closing in recent years unaware of the approaching golden opportunities in woodcarving. Without information about where their future customers are coming from, they fade away along with the frugal depression-era generation of woodcarvers.
How will we find newer, younger replacements for the older generation of woodcarvers? We need not look too far. They are all over the country. Here are some facts:
1. There are 77 million baby boomers in this country (born between 1946 and 1964), ages 40-58.
2. They contribute 30% of the total US population - the fastest growing population.
3. Their current aggregate income is 4.1 trillion dollars - they own 80% of all money in savings accounts.
4. There are 42 million female baby boomers (54% of all baby boomers).
5. Baby boomers will enjoy longer, more productive lives than any previous generation in American history.
Just look around at what baby boomers are doing today - they practically run the country in every field. Guess who's running woodcarving publishing companies? Who's writing woodcarving books and articles? Who's teaching and learning about woodcarving? If you haven't noticed this phenomenon, just look out - these graying baby boomers are going to enjoy woodcarving as a hobby or pastime during their leisure or after retirement. Many of the woodcarving professionals are boomers who graduated from art schools 2 or 3 decades ago, and are still in the profession.
Assuming that our National Woodcarvers' Association has a membership of 60,000, wouldn't it be nice if we introduced even 1% of baby boomers to woodcarving? This would mean 770,000 more woodcarvers - almost 13 times more members that we currently have. Of course, this group would continue to do woodcarving for 30-40 more years before they pass the torch to their children.
Old woodcarvers don't die - they just lay down their tools and fade away.
Friends of woodcarving are all welcome to contact me at (718) 544-0265 or visit my website at woodcarving.web.com. Those in the New York area are always welcome to visit my workshop.
New York City
Woodcarving by George
Forest Hills, NY
http://woodcarving.web.com
Lola Nelson
I feel a lot of people would like to consider woodcarving a fading art. However, I find it exciting and challenging. It's harder than clay sculpting and you have to really think out what you are doing.
It seems to me that there are more people involved in woodcarving today. I can remember when I first started showing my carvings; I was the only lady competitor in our local club. Now there are several more and some of us are certified judges with the California Carvers Guild.
I have been carving since 1986 and first started showing in 1992 and won a red ribbon in that show. Since then, I have won many first places and best of show and other special awards.
Many of my carvings are sold through a gallery along with my paintings. I work full time and paint and carve only on a part time basis. I teach woodcarving and painting. One of my students will soon retire and he is so excited about woodcarving. He has said that this is the only hobby he has ever stuck with and he thoroughly enjoys it. His wife is thrilled that he has been involved with woodcarving.
Lola Nelson
California
Professional artist and woodcarver
Wade Faries
My first statement is to dispel your illusion that I am a professional carver. However, I do expose many kids to the joy of removing chips from a piece of wood and influence them into walking away from my class with a visible reward for spending an hour or so with me. I give a safety lesson in the use of a sharp pocket knife and how to use carving strokes to safely remove chips.
My lessons start with a 15 to 20 minute safety class. Most users of pocket knives try to whittle with absolutely no safety devices, therefore I teach methods to keep them from making severe accidental incisions in their hands. The best method I have found is 'thinking before any cut is made'. I do illustrate several methods that I use, and I do not use any artificial protection.
My favorite class is the making of willow type whistles. Most of the classes that I teach are things that can be made from green wood of opportunity. My criteria are; if I cannot do the project in less than 10 minutes, I will not teach it. The student will be able to walk away after a 2-hour session with a finished project.
Here in the Pacific Northwestern states we have the following skill levels, in order:
Novice - Carving entries until 5 first place ribbons or 2 best of division in Novice
Intermediate- Until having won 2 Best of Division in Intermediate
Advanced - Until having won 3 best of division on 3 different carvings with one best of division having been won at each of 2 different PNC shows. (Pacific Northwest Carvers)
Expert - A carver may be classed as an 'Expert' in one field and allowed to compete as 'Advanced' in other fields. Upon qualifying as an 'Expert' in 4 of the 6 fields and winning a Blue ribbon in at the Expert level within each section the Expert Carver will achieve the distinction of Master Carver.
Novice or Intermediate can Challenge a level, (In Quilceda Carvers Show) by entering one carving in a higher level. If a Blue ribbon is received, the carver advances to that level.
I challenged Intermediate after 2 years and Advanced the next year. Both times I got a Blue. So, I am currently classed as an Advanced Carver.
The main thing I sell is the Pocket Knife I purchase and modify into a three-bladed carving tool that I can carry in the watch pocket of my jeans. The knife has a carving blade (suitable for detail work), A 1/16 wide Vee tool and a 3/32 radius gouge. This tool is used for most of the carving I do. (I'm not a purist on this; I will use whatever tool I have that will do the job). My students use this knife. I use it more than 4 hours a day, every day.
Now, to address your question, maybe.
Sales; if you do not have an established reputation, people will only pay “craft prices”. So, most of my carvings go to family.
Artistry; the average person (I have encountered) says, “That’s beautiful, but I could never do that.” A statement that I argue with, sometimes successfully.
Chainsaw carvings are big and impressive and ugly (usually) and sell a lot faster for a lot more money than a small beautiful carving.
Wade's Wood, ETC (The name was picked to cover any aspect of wood and tools)
I live in Washington State most of the time (I'm a full-time RV'er)
I whittle most of the time, carve whimsical things sometimes and mostly make Hiking Staves with one or more wood spirits carved into them.
I have whittled since I was seven. That's 65 years ago.
I entered my first carving show nine years ago. Got lucky with a second place ribbon and was hooked.
Wade Faries
Washington State
Tony Erickson
Looking at this from an instructors view it is my belief that wood carving in America exists in two sections, thriving in one and dying in the other. Thriving is the hobbyist section, the hobbyist being the one who carves for the love of it. This person shares their love of carving with all and keeps and values their work. These folks exhibit in our shows, our competitions. They attend our roundups and seminars. They share their pictures and projects and are our club members. As long as there are professionals producing new idea's, patterns, rough out’s and workshops this will continue to thrive. This section has many with amazing talent but sadly are not with us very long because they take up their hobby at a late age. But then there have never really been very many young hobbyist's these days and the ones that start young usually become our professionals. And this is where I believe wood carving is a dying art.
Restoration has gone the way of castings and foam.
Acanthus and scroll work and carving blanks have gone the way of duplicating machines.
Columns, capitols, gargoyles and furniture carving have gone both ways.
Sign carving is even going to foam and duplicating.
The old tool specific work is fading fast.
The classically trained are fading out.
Ivan Whillock will continue to do religious work and sculpture, Joe Dillett will continue to produce fabulous deep relief mantels and Vic Hood will continue restoration work. But who's stepping up to fill in? I suppose there will always be an occasional somebody that comes along but will they be a wood carver or an artist?
Ask America what a woodcarver is. I have. The most common answer I get is the folks that do the Santa's and funny characters. Down here in the deep south its just plain old whittlin'.
The woodcarving image also gets publicly hurt when folks attempt to sell their work and devalue it just to make a sale. How in the world anyone can spend hours on a true work of art and then sell it for ten dollars or so is beyond me. I've heard too many comments like, “You want that for a piece of wood?”
Do you see turners and scroll sawyers devaluing their work? Or painters and photographers? Or baker's and candlestick maker's?
Tony Erickson
Scott Thompson
Down to Rondy
Greetings from the Great land. It is late here but I will pass on a few of my thoughts as woodcarving is also near and dear to me.
Woodcarving, if not a forgotten art form, but certainly straddles the fence between mainstream art forms like painting and bronzes, and what is commonly referred to as crafts. When selling carvings I have noted that many people find more value in a Bronze than in a one of a kind wood carving of a similar quality. Carvers more often show their wares at craft shows, bazaars and markets, than in Galleries, and Art exhibitions. I believe we hurt ourselves by not promoting our chosen art form as just that. Woodcarving certainly arose from a craft, as in Europe even today you can serve as an apprentice carver, and become a master “craftsman”. That is fine if you want to build furniture. It makes selling a fine woodcarving tough when you sit it beside a Marble sculpture. Woodcarving is a wonderful hobby and craft and nothing wrong with that...... Until you want commercial success as an “artist”. Don't get hung up on that either. Making enough money to pay for tools, wood, and to supplement your income is a great deal, and a woodcarving hobby business can certainly do that.
The main recognized woodcarving subgroups are Waterfowl carving, Fish Carving, Character carving, Carousel carving, and chainsaw carving. I sight these groups as there are established customer pools in all of these groups who, although small in number compared to main stream art aficionados do recognize excellence and will pay for it. Generally there are national contests and or support groups for these main forms of woodcarvings. If your carving wanders out side of these groups, you will need to create your own style, and will be competing with main stream art forms for commercial success.
As an aspiring “commercial artist” you have committed to something that many artists won’t do. That is “coming out of the closet”.
There are many wonderful carvers in our local club who have some great works piling up around their houses and will not attempt to sell them. They are mostly afraid of rejections. Price too high and no one buys, your feelings are hurt and you go back in the closet. One of the great things around a local club, is that the give away ribbons and praise. We all need some of that. Put your stuff on a table and let people vote with their money, and now your ego is really on the line. Most people stay in the closet. The result is that you see a complete range of carvers out there selling. OK artists that are great marketers, and great artists that can not deal with marketing at all, and every other combination. You at least want to aspire to be “good” at both to get some money flow.
Here is a quick thought on Pricing. I make “show” pieces and “Commercial” pieces. The commercial pieces are ones that I can do repeatedly and reasonably quickly. Therefore I can sell them for a price that is a happy thing for everyone, and not price them like they are the only carving I did this year. Aspiring commercial artists need to get comfortable with that idea. Most carvings I do are worth a million dollars, until I have finished a few more, than I get a better perspective on my own work. Time and more carvings give perspective.
If you dig through my web site, you will see that I have done all kinds of carvings for money. Including Snow and Ice. Have fun, make chips. Sell something, Elevate the “art of woodcarving” to a new level in your world. Good luck.
Scott Thompson
Alaskan artist
www.scottthompsonart.com
Joe Dillett
At first, when pondering your question, I thought woodcarving today is not much different than the other arts like painting. Upon further consideration, for me, I think woodcarving is better. In 1970 when I decided to do woodcarving as a part-time business the uniqueness of the art form helped in getting my business started. Here in 2005 woodcarving is more popular but there are some that still think it is a dying art. From the beginning I found it necessary to educate people about woodcarving as well as get others interested in trying it. Marketing is my strong point. I've always considered myself a salesman trying to become a woodcarver. It seems like from the beginning my backlog went out 2 years or more. Carving family histories on mantels makes up about 60% of my business. The other 40% is architectural carving for churches, homes and businesses as well as some patterns for industry. The security of my business is that I've always been able to maintain years of backlog, a Wish List of customers waiting to have their history carved on a mantel.
In the early 90's I outgrew my home studio and found it necessary to build a larger studio, this one away from home. That is when I took my business full time. I've started 6 apprentices who are about half way through a 4-year program one of which works for me. When the economy was poor I was blessed with lots of work. In the last year, as the economy improves, my business is exploding. We receive about 4 requests for quotes per week resulting in a strong work schedule. We joke about our new motto, “We can do anything, however it'll be expensive.”
To answer your question about the state of woodcarving today, I believe it is stronger than ever. I believe it is not viewed among the top art forms, like bronze or painting. However woodcarving can be as rewarding and any other art form along with being a successful business provided you approach it like any other successful business. Successful businesses require good business practices, good marketing, good pricing to cover your total costs as well as giving your customer a good value for their money. I believe the biggest key is marketing and screening your clients, only working with clients who are interested in your success.
There is a difference between woodcarving as a hobby and doing it for a living. I thought that I would lose the love of carving if I did it as a business. The opposite has been true. I am more obsessed with woodcarving than when I started. The main difference is with woodcarving for a living is that every piece must be of good quality to give the customer good value for their money but there isn't time to make each piece gallery quality like if you were doing it as a hobby. The other difference is almost everything I do is commissioned so I hardly have anything to show where hobbyist can fill their table with gallery quality carvings.
Well I've rambled enough.
Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
Somonauk, IL.
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
As I contemplated the question posed, “What is the state of woodcarving in America today?” it suddenly occurred to me, compared to when?
I started whittling in 1967, and thinking back to that time, there was, in effect, one book on the subject, which remains the definitive work, Tangerman’s “Whittling and Woodcarving”. And there were virtually no sources of tools beyond X-acto “carving sets”, at least as far as the general public was aware. The professional woodcarver was rare; the classic Master almost non-existent in the USA. The demand for the woodcarving trade had long since faded with the modernization of building styles and materials, and the hobbyist woodcarver had yet to be fully discovered: he was out there, but the suppliers had not yet realized the market and how to best exploit it.
Today, he has been discovered, and it is, just as often, she. And both have been tapped as a market. Scores of books now fill any book listing or store that has a woodcarving supply section; books on most any aspect of woodcarving, or any specific project you could desire. The quality varies immensely, both in content and form, but word quickly spreads when an especially effective book becomes available. And there are hundreds of small stores and retail outlets that specialize in supplying the needs of the woodcarver, as well as featured sections in major tool suppliers to the woodworking trade.
There remains the absence of the true classically trained Master woodcarver, for his work is gone, and there is no sufficient demand to justify the intense training and commitment required to become a Master woodcarver. Personally, I know three in existence, two of whom quit the field, and the third went professional before completing a full apprenticeship.
Still, if you allow a wider definition of the term woodcarving than that skill practiced by a classically trained Master, I suspect there are many more woodcarvers working away on bits of wood now than at any other time. Today, you are likely to run across someone who carves in any group gathering, or often in the most surprising places. A few weeks ago, while visiting the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, as I came around the path at the end of the manatee viewing area, there, sitting at a park table with a box of tools and a board, sat a local man happily working on a new sign as a gift for the park.
The true state of woodcarving is not always apparent, for many engage in the activity in solitude and unnoticed. One of the positive aspects of this is the wide variety that emerges in this isolated invention of woodcarving technique and style. In an interview I did with E J Tangerman in 1991 (see footnote) we touched upon these matters. In commenting on the show we were at, The annual Vermont Show in Morrisville, he said, “I’m amazed at the quality of things that are here, very good, and a tremendous variety, which I think is healthy. It’s not everybody making the same sort of thing. I haven’t been to a show for some time, but this is a big show, and an extremely healthy one.”
Later in that same interview, he commented on the question of the state of woodcarving in the 30’s, when he did his first writing, a pamphlet for Remington Arms, a company that made knives at the time: “Remington distributed 750,000 free. They had to increase their production of pocket knives by five! Nobody there had any idea of such a market. Everybody was saying that whittling was dying. There was no indication that it was not true!… For a field that’s dying, it’s showing quite a bit of health, isn’t it?”
The woodcarver in America today is you: the hobbyist woodcarver; or the talented, generally self-trained woodcarver who has found a niche and made a business of it; or the one who has mastered business and marketing skills and succeeded more through that than fulfilling an existing demand with classical skills.
The successful woodcarver today has to create the demand for his product.
Many have done so, and succeeded in making a business success of it. But the vast majority of woodcarvers today are still the hobbyists who do it simply for the joy of creating, and sharing a bit of themselves with those they love.
-Jud Hindes
PO Box 1489
Homosassa FL 34447
eJud2001@Yahoo.com
[(Footnote) The complete interview is in Jud’s book, “Me & Tange…” available at lulu.com/JudPub]
Bill Judt
IMHO, as long as North American carvers avoid going the route of European carvers in establishing carving as a trade... with Apprenticeships, journeymen standing, trade secrets, etc., it should continue its present course of being innovative, creative and unrestrained by rules that come out of traditionalism. Traditionalism in the arts is any system of rules which retrains and bridles creativity and freedom. Traditionalism is the exact opposite of tradition.
Tradition is the living legacy of carvers now dead. Traditionalism is the dead legacy of carvers still living. Bird carvers, in my opinion, are the group among carvers most at risk of falling into traditionalism, and this is due to the largely competitive nature of bird carvers and their organizations. Competition breeds rules, and rules turn in to legalistic regulations which in turn crush creativity.
Blessings and Peace,
Bill
W.F. Judt,
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
Canada
Email: bjudt@sasktel.net
Website: http://www.wwwoodcarver.com
My books are for sale at: http://wwwoodcarver.com/Books/Books.html
Jim Lothary
A few random thoughts:
Woodcarving is like any other activity today, be it golf, fishing, or knitting, there are a few individuals that take the hobby to a seriously high level of artistry, a group that takes the hobby too seriously and wants to make it a very competitive affair, and the majority that enjoys the simple pleasure of the hobby.
Like any other hobby, the commercial aspect of carving is getting more intense. What used to involve a sharp pocketknife and a chunk of pine now involves a shop full of expensive tools, flexible eyes and pewter feet, exotic woods and Internet marketing. Hats off to those who still enjoy the fun of creation more than the assembly of something a little too perfect.
I'm surprised with your struggle to find info on carving. There has been an explosion of info on carving in the last ten years from the basics to details and from simple patterns to complex intersections with art forms.
Finally, like too many things the commercial side of carving is changing due to the ability of foreign carvers to ship their products to the US. Some of these carvers retain their local customs and methods but many are being hired to mimic American styled carvings. The flood of cheap carvings has ruined the market for Americana or rustic arts. Chinese carvings are on EBay in great numbers. I was saddened to hear recently that carving in Lithuania is just about dead. Apparently the communists snuffed it out trying to make the Lithuanians good communists.
I have been carving for about 15 years and enjoy carving realistic birds and fish, an occasional folk style Noah's ark and one Santa a year for my wife.
Jim Lothary
Indiana
Hawksglen Carvings
You are visitor
Maura Macaluso
Staten Island, NY
917-494-0008
http://mycarvingclub.com/mauramacaluso
©COPYRIGHT 2007 Carvin' in NYC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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All rights to this material are reserved. No part may be reproduced, photocopied or reprinted in any form, electronic or otherwise, without the express written consent for authorization.
Original patterns contained herein, may be purchased by individuals and used to complete their own personal carvings for sale or show, as long as such sales or shows are not through licensed commercial businesses.
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