Larry Matney
Gordon Andersen is one of many accomplished woodcarvers in the PebbleCreek Woodcarvers Club. A piece Gordon is close to finishing is titled The Sentinels and consists of four kachinas on a circular base. The piece still needs a bit of work on the collars and the back of one kachina’s head.
Each kachina is carved separately and attached to the base. The piece is carved from basswood then wood burning was used to enhance feather detail; then it was painted. This is actually the first of seven similar carvings that will be gifts to Gordon’s daughters and granddaughters. Each carving will be unique and takes about a month to complete.
Gordon has been carving for about 12 years and moved to PebbleCreek in 2002. Gordon has several additional pieces on display in the Creative Arts building in the woodcarvers’ display case, so stop by to see more of his work.
The Woodcarvers Club meets in the Quail Room in the Creative Arts building on the Tuscany side of PebbleCreek. The club has general meetings on the second Tuesday each month at 9:00 a.m. from October to April. If you are interested in woodcarving stop by to see completed work and meet club members. Most members have had little or no experience carving prior to taking one of the club’s classes. Carving equipment is available for use during your first two classes to see if you like carving. So stop by the Quail Room and see what you can create from a block of wood.
The Woodcarving Club has the following carving classes scheduled for the 2017-2018 carving season. Contact Joel Hawkins via email at [email protected] for information on classes and updates to the schedule.
NorthWest Helmet: 9:00 a.m.-noon M-W-F, February 5–28
Kachina: 9:00 a.m.-noon M-W-F, February 5–23
Trout: 9:00 a.m.-noon M-W-F, February 1-March 9
Moon Mask: 9:00 a.m.-noon M-W-F, March 5-23
Cottonwood Bark: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. on M-T-W-F, March 5–23)