Carvings by Jim on display
Kim Bowie
The woodcarvers club selected Jim Calder to be woodcarver of the month for February 2024. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Jim and his family lived in many places in the U.S. as he advanced his career in electronics. He was married to Marlene for 34 years. They purchased a home in PebbleCreek in 1995 and spent more time here after Jim retired in 2000.
Carving wasn’t originally high on Jim’s list of preferred activities. “I play golf; I don’t whittle wood” was his answer when invited to try carving. He did give it a try in 2005. The club at that time was mainly carving realistic birds of various species. Although Jim wasn’t particularly interested in birds, those carving classes gave him a strong skill set to start to explore other styles and subjects. Jim was Novice Carver of the Year in 2006. He credits Monte Curtis, one of the club’s founders, with starting him on carving Indian figures and golfer caricatures. He sold many of his golfers and also taught classes on carving them. Over time he found his greatest pleasure in carving was more of a contemporary style.
Jim’s creations are in the homes of his children, grandchildren, lucky friends, and buyers. His current projects are a German Shepherd for one of his daughters and an Aberdeen Angus cow for another.
The art of carving gives Jim great pleasure but equally as important are the friendships and community that the club brings. This has been especially true since Marlene passed away three years ago. Please join us in congratulating Jim on this well-deserved award.