1:  DVD's in the Offing
2:  Deep Undercutting Tools
3:  Innovative Slipstones
4:  New Book: Woodcarving Projects and Techniques
5:  Woodcarving Event!
6:  USA 2008 Dates
7:  The Big 5...
8:  Miscellany:
       One for the Bench
       Back issues
       Woodcarving Tuition/Teaching
       Slipstones Woodcarving Manuals

1  DVD's in the Offing

Advance notice!
In late June I filmed 3 woodcarving DVD's with Rob Cosman, who makes arguably the best woodworking DVD's around.

Subjects:

  Basics of Sharpening a Woodcarving Gouge

  Core Lettercarving Techniques

  Corner Leaf (a decorative carving)

Ever had difficulties cleaning up the junctions within deep recesses (beneath undercut elements, leaves for example)?

Even worse cutting down into end grain?

Well, these new tools will deal with that problem!
I originally made these Deep Undercutting tools to help clean up junctions within deep recesses and found they gave me such an advantage that I asked Ashley Iles to make them generally available.

I've written an introduction: what they are exactly; what they can do for you; and how to use and sharpen them.

The new slipstones for woodcarvers are in production as I write. They've been over 4 years in the offing but the results are really worth waiting for!

I've written a document on the why's and wherefore's and I hope to have this for you along with details, suppliers etc quite soon now.  

A collection of articles that I have written over the years, mainly in Woodcarving magazine. I take as much care in writing these articles as anything else I write and it's always bothered me that these useful articles had every chance of disappearing. Now, here they are - rescued from oblivion!   Learn more about my new book: Woodcarving Projects and Techniques (And if you buy books through the Amazon links in the website, Amazon donates a little towards my wellbeing...)

 
 

I'll be demonstrating at The National Arboretum, Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire again: Friday 24 - 27 August inclusive as part of EXHIBITREE - now the UK's premier hand tools event.

Come and visit, feel free to interrupt whatever project I'll be working on, say hello and chat about all matters carving. I'll be happy to talk about your work; perhaps I can help with a little advice?
Bring some pictures (and an ice-cream!).

I'll be bringing along some of those carvings you've seen in my books and magazine articles, and which you may have had a go at.
Also, ye gods willing, we'll see my new woodcarving DVD.

The Exhibitree Weekend is part of the 'Festival of the Tree': a week long series of events that starts with the Sculptree large scale tree carving - this year on the theme of 'This Precious Earth'. In addition children's crafts and a trail will be running as part of Family Tree. There are over 150 tree craft stalls and many demonstrations.

You'll find me in the Classic Hand Tools tent where you will also find:

Tools from Lie-Nielsen, Veritas, Clifton, Konrad Sauer, Robert Sorby Woodturning, Tormek, Magma Lathes, Gransfors Bruks, Auriou, Kirjes, Moviluty, Flexcut, Brusso, Adria, Blue Spruce, Norton, General Finishes,& much more...

Demonstrations over the 4 days there will be by Rob Cosman, me, John Lloyd, Konrad Sauer, Michel Auriou,Chris Pouncy, Mark Hancock, Jacques Colange, Peter Berry, Richard Reimers, Martin Kellermaier, James Mursell, Martin Brown, Peter Boman, Mick Hudson - some of these with a video feed to an audience...

I mean... busy or what!
It's a really great event - look forward to seeing you!  

For the 12th successive year, I'm honoured to say I've been invited to run classes at Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine.

  July 21 - 25:  Relief Carving

  July 28 - August 8:  2 week Intermediate/Advanced Carving

Details will eventually appear on the CFC website and I'll be saying more in future newsletters.

Carving seems to me more and more an 'inner game'.

I often think that I only do a few 'things' - let's call it 5 - when I am carve. These are not so much techniques as attitudes that I have; focusses; ways of working.

It's hard to overemphasise how profound these things feel to me sometimes. I mention them to students ("Here's a pearl. Catch!") but I'm never really sure if they get it since I also understand how banal or drippy these things must sound.
Anyway, judge for yourself.
Here's the first:

When you carve, you take wood away; you create space, not wood.

Your final carving is untouched, uncarved, wood - yes? Every time you 'touch' it, you carve it away. Carving is about creating space.

So, you work with space even as you are interested in form. The two absolutely bound as one.

Most beginners concentrate on the reducing side of things: the wood they are taking away. But this goes on the floor, or the fire; no one is interested in it. What they are interested in is what you left behind.
You have to place your attention on what's left when the chisel comes away: its mass, how it 'articulates' with the next mass; the flow of the surface; lines and edges. That's your carving.  

That's it!

Please forward this newsletter to a woodcarving friend, and anyone else you think might be interested. Thanks!

Joy and success with your carving.

                                                              Chris Pye  

 
PS: One for the Bench:

"All the suffering in the world arises out of wanting happiness for self.
All happiness in the world arises out of wanting happiness for others."

           ~ Shantideva

BACK ISSUES of this newsletter:

http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html
including zipfiles for 2001 - 2006 text-style newsletters

TUITION/TEACHING 2007

UK (1-TO-1 PERSONAL TUITION)

The best way to learn or improve your carving is to join me in my studio for intensive, custom tuition, tailored to exactly what you need. Easy to arrange; dates to suit.
Full details here:
http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_custom.html
 

USA 2008 (Center For Furniture Craftsmanship, Maine)

  July 21 - 25:  Relief Carving

  July 28 - Aug 8:  2 week Intermediate/Advanced

Details later in the year on the CFC website: http://www.woodschool.org

SLIPSTONES WOODCARVING MANUALS

Help yourself!
You are free to copy any or all of these ebooks, send them to your carving friends, or have them available on your own website but you must not charge money for them.

Full list and details here:
http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html

  Deep Undercutting Tools (pdf only)
  Key Notes on Sharpening Woodcarving Gouges (pdf only)
  Master Woodcarving Secrets (pdf only)
    (Sponsored by Tools for Working Wood)
  Quick Carving Questions - 1
    (Sponsored by Tools for Working Wood)
  Quick Carving Questions - 2
    (Sponsored by Classic Hand Tools http://www.classichandtools.com/)
  Quick Carving Questions - 3
     (Sponsored by Preferred Edge Carving Knives & Supplies)
  Quick Carving Questions - 4
  Selecting & Sharpening Your V Tool
  Learning to Carve
  Learning to Carve 2
  A Guide to Safe Woodcarving
  Mistakes and Woodcarving
  Fundamentals of Woodcarving
  Slicing, And The Value Of The Inside Bevel (pdf only)

  PDF versions of all Ebooks