Introduction to Face Carving for the Beginner with Jim O'Dea
Class 1 - Sat. May 18 & Sun. May 19 from 8:30am to 5pm Class 2 - Sat. June 15 & Sun June 16 from 8:30am to 5pm The cost for the two day class is $40 Each class is limited to 6-8 participants Classes are filled (pending payment) but we welcome you to add yourself to a waitlist
To register for this event: Send your check made out to Woodworkers of Central New York, Inc. along with your contact information to: Heather Muckley, 707 Oak St, Apt 2, Syracuse, NY 13203 Please place on memo line Jim O'Dea June. Or Contact Heather at carvewoodcny@gmail.com
This class is an introduction to face carving for the beginning woodcarver with little or no experience doing human faces. It is also useful to those that are not satisfied with the faces they are currently doing and those just looking for a different way. Students will have the opportunity to follow a methodology in developing a human face using just a knife. But, if you have gouges bring them ALL. Jim will show you where they can work better or faster. The emphasis of the study stick class days will be on the process, not the artistic nature of the carving. Jim does not cover very much about expression, gender differences, racial differences or anything else during this time, rather he is trying to get the student to carve a face that looks human. Practice and application can then develop the artistic nature of your carving. Attention will be paid to how you use the tools to get "clean" cuts, precise cuts, and how not to cut yourself. Each student will carve their own step-by-step study stick, with each step numbered, which will lead them through the process of blocking out a human face on the corner of a 1 1/8 inch square block about 12 inches long. Jim spreads the steps out and includes as many steps as possible to provide clarity of the step. He uses 2 of these sticks to block out the face - completing the nose and an open mouth with teeth & tongue. You will also do eyes step-by-step on another stick. Ears are done on a smaller stick especially prepared for doing ears. Four different sticks in all.
Jim O'Dea lives in Rotonda West, FL. He has 42 years experience carving human caricatures, carousel horses, realistic freshwater fish, and whales. He has taught woodcarving for 21 years, including sessions at the Lake Placid NY Woodcarving Experience. He also taught evening courses at Ledyard High School, Ledyard, CT and weekend sessions at the New England Carousel Museum in Mystic, CT. Over time he has taught classes at many events: the New England Woodcarvers Retreat held in Rhode Island; the NorthEast Woodcarvers Roundup in Honesdale, PA; the Michigan Woodcarvers Roundup in Evart, MI; the Indiana Woodcarvers Summer Camp; and the Buckeye Woodcvarvers Roundup in Ohio. He often teaches at woodcarving clubs including the Mystic Carvers Club in Mystic, CT; the Rainbow Woodcarvers Club in Niagara Falls, NY; the Southtown Woodcarvers Club in Elma, NY; the Peace River Carvers Club in Arcadia, FL; the Myakka River Carvers Club in El Jobean, FL; the Northport Woodcarvers in Northport, FL; the Charlotte County Woodcarvers in Punta Gorda, FL; and woodcarvers groups in Sun City, FL; New Port Richy, FL; and Morristown, NY.