• to inspire a love and enthusiasm for carving;
• to direct and promote greater skill and accomplishment;
• and to support all students at all levels of this great craft.

How have I started expressing these aims? And how can you benefit from the different pages and areas offered here?
This is a young site and you may like to keep in touch with
the free newsletter.

1 Slipstones Woodcarving Manuals
I have been struck by how useful the world-wide web and in particular 'ebooks' are - can be - for learning.
The web is embryonic, but very exciting. So are 'ebooks' - soon they will include sound and video clips and will be less 'book'-like all together.
I am compiling practical, step by step ebooks (manuals) that may well turn out to be one of the many hearts of this website.
Edited for tight, high quality content, supported and updated by feedback, they will support and further the work of carvers at all levels.
Find out more about Slipstones Woodcarving Manuals and my plans for the future here!

2 GALLERY
Here you'll find examples of some of my own carving work, gradually to be changed. The pictures illustrate different sides of my work as a professional woodcarver and the standard to which I aim.
You might have the potential to make carvings like these. Carving does take a certain amount of natural ability but more importantly the time and intelligent effort to learn and practice necessary skills. Even at a far humbler level than such gallery work, everyone can pursue excellence and beauty in carving. With support, advice and guidance more is possible than most of us realise.
So please see me as being here to help you towards your particular woodcarving goals.

3 INSPIRATIONS
This section of the Gallery offers some other woodcarving, woodcarver, design aspect etc, even attitudes that I find inspiring to my work and which I want to share.
What inspires you? You can let me know and we could share it with others.

  But you don't know where to start?

5 WRITING
My carving books, described in the writing section of the site have been very well received by both beginners and the more advanced.
In these books I talk to you directly: you will learn clearly and explicitly the 'how to' and the 'why', of tools; handling and sharpening; wood, design, and many styles and forms of carving itself.
If you have absorbed this material you will know a lot (but not all!) of what I know. Future plans include videos and what I hope will be a wide-ranging series of downloadable woodcarving manuals. Again, you can keep updated with the site newsletter

6 BookFAQ
Something in my books you didn't understand? Try here first, someone else might have brought up a similar issue.
If that doesn't help, there are directions so you can write to me and I'll do my best to make things clear.

7 RECOMMENDED BOOKS LIST
Of course there are not just my books, but many other excellent and useful ones on the market on all aspects of woodcarving, design and related subject.
These I will review with both my author's and carver's hats on, and hope to get other reader's opinions as well.
I have many books - old and new - on woodcarving and related topics. Some are treasures of information and inspiration and the word needs passing around. Know of any?

8 WOODCARVERS GLOSSARY
Unsure of a carving term? Look here for a definition. If it's not there, perhaps it should be!
Again there's a link to ask me and I'll explain, and perhaps we can add something to the Woodcarvers Glossary...

9 TEACHING
Details here of my residential and other courses, when available.
This year 2001 has proved to be a busy and complex time so far and I have not been able to pin dates down yet. When I do, they will appear here, in the site newsletter and Slipstones.
I also teach in Maine, USA and may be available for other venues. Details of the Maine courses from here: Center for Furniture Craftsmanship

10 Carving Tools
Tools are the heart of woodcarving: no doubt about it: good carving tools help good carving. But what tools do you need, what about quality and sharpening?

My books will help here: to make the most of the practical work, some of my books use specific tools which are among the most common and necessary tools for carvers.
In this section of the website you will find lists of these tools which I can supply as a kit, along with the wood.
You'll also find useful advice and tips for beginners.

Importantly, I am introducing makers and sellers of the best carving tools around. I am not 'signed up to any one make - I'm definitely on you're side, the side of the carver. You can buy your tools here, for example, with complete confidence.

11 GUIDE TO SAFE WOODCARVING
Carving safely is very important! Learn good habits from the start, and pre-empt disaster and discomfort with my Guide to Safe Woodcarving. All you need to know in a free and downloadable ebook...

12 CONNECT
These pages tell you more about me, and bring me your various feedback, comments and suggestions - always welcome!
There are many ways to contribute to my efforts here as well as finding what you need to support your own in woodcarving.

What else would you like to see? Let me know...

13 PAGE of LINKS There are many excellent woodcarving sites around, places to get tools, wood, to see others carvings, get inspiration and so on. These are being assembled here.

You will not be hassled in any way. You can remove your address easily, at any time and without explanation, from the home page, here, or the newsletter itself.
Your details will not be used for any other purpose whatsoever.   Chris Pye