We started by looking at some of my carved bowls and discussing the design elements involved, importance of balancing the bowl by knowing which areas needed to be left thicker and where it could be carved finer. Sam was also keen to see some of my spoons and the finish I achieve solely through carving and which he's aspiring to.
These one-to-one courses are great fun to do as I can fit the content exactly to the student's skills and learning goals. It also gives me chance to put in lots more information and 'tricks of the trade' that there wouldn't be time for with a group. A quality final product comes from well thought-out design and I showed Sam some tips on marking out for the bowl shape before we got onto the adzing. From our previous conversation I knew was an area where I could really improve Sam's technique and his efficiency in hollowing the bowl. Sure enough, after a short demonstration, the chips were flying and the bowl started to take shape. Working with an adze is fun and exciting; like the axe it can swiftly remove large amounts of wood but can equally, in skilled hands, work extremely accurately. When I'm carving, I like to work right up to the line and leave a smooth surface with the adze, so there's only the refining work to be done.
The other area that Sam wanted help with was in defining the outer surface of the bowl. He had picked out one of my spoons he especially liked as inspiration for his design and I explained how the same principles of wall thickness applied to both the bowl of a spoon and a large bowl. With a combination of axe, gouge and knife he worked on defining the shape, learning for himself along the way the importance of the initial design stages and the challenges of marrying the sides, ends and handles together.
One-to-one sessions can be catered to your own goals but could include
- Spoon carving and design
- Hay rake making
- Learn to carve fan birds
- Make and use a shavehorse
- Steam bending wood
- Axe and knife techniques for various projects
A day with me in the workshop costs £150 including materials and use of my tools. Or share with a friend for £250.
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