Gualala Arts Workshop
Introduction to Woodcarving
Instructors: Jim Tackett

Friday - Sunday
November 6 - 8, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Canceled

Register by:	October 12, 2009
Tuition:	$120 members; $150 non-members
Materials:	Contact the instructor. (You may supply your own or instructor will provide them for $75.)
Recommended:	The Beginner's Handbook of Woodcarving by Charles Beiderman and William Johnston, Dover Publications, 1993

If you have ever wanted to try wood carving or have done it in the past and would like to take it up again, then this course is for you.

In this hands-on course, you will learn about varieties of wood, basic carving tools, and the techniques used in relief carving and carving in the round. The focus will be on hand carving using a knife and a gouge, but reference will be made to the use of power tools, wood burning, and finishing.

After the initial introduction, students will select a simple project and pursue it at their own pace. More than one project will probably be completed during the course. Wood for these projects can be supplied by the course (bass wood) or the student can supply any wood of their choice.

Upon completion of this course the student should be ready to take on more difficult projects and may choose to participate in the woodcarving group at the Gualala Arts Center.

About Jim Tackett

Jim Tackett has been carving wood for about eight years. Upon retirement from his job as an Analytical Chemist at a major oil company, he decided to take up chainsaw carving. He lived in Denver on property that had some beetle-kill pine trees. After completing several bears, winter set in and "inside" carving became more appropriate.

Jim took a class in detailed bird carving at a local Wood Craft store. After completing a black-capped chickadee, Jim and his wife Carol moved to the Sea Ranch in 2000. Upon arriving in this area, Jim participated in the Point Arena chainsaw competition. He learned new techniques and acquired a lot of "scrap" redwood. Since that time he has made good use of that wood as well as other wood gathered locally. Now he makes limited use of the chainsaw to "rough out" larger projects and uses power and/or hand tools to finish his pieces.

He does not consider himself to be an expert woodcarver, but feels he has developed enough expertise to teach an introductory course. His work has been displayed in several Gualala Art Center exhibits and at the Gravenstein Apple Fair. Jim was curator of the Wood Creations 2005 and Wood Creations 2007 exhibits at Gualala Arts. He, along with Dave Windsor, has been instrumental in forming the Mendonoma Woodworking Group at the Arts Center. Jim is an active member of the Sonoma Woodcarving Group that meets in Santa Rosa.

See also: Gualala Arts Workshop Registration, Payment & Cancellation Policy.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.