Larry Matney
PebbleCreek Woodcarvers Club members completed a cottonwood bark woodcarving class on March 24, 2018. Class members were Richard Schlotzhaver, Marianne Moir, Gerald Findley (instructor), Kathy Stauffer, Kim Bowie, Cynthia Schwartz, Mark Marks, Judy Caruthers, Roger Borlaug, Mary Conz, Doug Grover Frank Glowinski, Doug Krause and Elaine Rajeski.
Cottonwood bark is harvested from dead cottonwood trees and can be several inches thick. Each piece has a unique shape that tends to be long and narrow. Multiple pieces can be joined to create a wider piece for carving. The bark carves well with rotary tools and knifes/gouges. It is a pleasure to carve and the unique shape of each piece lends itself to whimsical subjects.
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 of 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.
Formal classes are not scheduled during the summer, but if you are a full time PebbleCreek resident contact Joel Hawkins via email at [email protected] or stop by the Quail Room and there will be someone there to get you started carving.
The Woodcarving Club offers a large variety of carving classes. During the 2017/2018 carving season the club had carving classes on: Chess Set Pieces, Comical Owl, Corn Maiden Kachina, Cottonwood Bark Carving, Decorative Spoon, Kachina, Northwest Indian Helmet, Northwest Indian Moon Mask, Pumpkin Caricature, Relief Carving, and Wood Spirits.