A one day class - see schedule when you get there to see days offerred.

This class is an introduction to face carving for the beginning woodcarver with little or no experience doing human faces. Students will have the opportunity to follow a methodology in developing a human face using just a knife. The emphasis of the class will be on the “process”, not the artistic mature of the carving.

How often have you gone home after a seminar and not been able to remember the steps you learned in carving a face? This seminar was develop for those of us with CRS.

These will be your "study sticks", plus not shown the eye study stick.

Each student will carve their own step by step set of Five study blocks, with each step numbered, which will lead them through the process of "blocking" out a human face on the corner of a 1 1/2 inch square block. We will complete the nose and mouth with teeth on these blocks. We will also do eyes, step by step on a smaller, separate one-inch square study stick before attempting to put the eyes on the face on the bigger blocks.

Those carvers who are more experienced will have time to complete the eyes on their bigger blocks. Those less experienced will have the eye study sticks completed but will have to complete putting eyes on the bigger blocks at night or at home. The whole idea is understand the process and to have your very own numbered sequence of steps to follow when you next attempt a human face.

I use techniques which only require a knife so that the student need not purchase any special tools, however for those with V tools and gouges I will demonstrate where these tools are quicker and easier than using the knife. For the most novice carvers, I always have several SHARP knives they can borrow.

Cost of materials for this one-day class includes all the wood blocks. The students will carve their own set of “study sticks” with each step numbered so they can replicate the “process” at home on their own. Although only a knife is necessary, students with gouges should bring them.

The instructor is Jim O’Dea from Grand Island, NY and Rotonda West, FL. Jim has 29 years experience carving human caricatures, carousel horses, realistic freshwater fish, and whales. He has taught woodcarving for 11 years, including evening courses in whittling and woodcarving at Ledyard High School, Ledyard CT, weekend classes at the New England Carousel Museum in Mystic, CT; the New England Woodcarvers Retreat held in Rhode Island; the NorthEast Woodcarvers Roundup in Honesdale,PA, The Michigan Woodcarvers Roundup at Evart, MI, and numerous classes for the Mystic Carvers Club in Mystic, CT, Rainbow Woodcarvers Club in Niagara Falls, NY; the Southtowns Woodcarvers Club in Hamburg, NY; the Peace River Carvers Club in Arcadia, FL; and the Myakka River Carvers Club in El Jobean, Fl.

Contact Jim at jeodea@aol.com