A fantastic two-week journey...

If carving is at all something you are interested in, whether starting or just getting better, I urge you to do your best to learn from Chris Pye. He is not only an immensely accomplished master carver, but he is a natural teacher as well. He understands how to communicate the basics and essentials of carving, and strips this mystical work down to a very understandable level. And as you can see from my pelican, he is superb at helping beginners progress through a project to the point where they feel confident making decisions on their own. 

Not only am I impressed with Chris's ability to teach me, but I was also very impressed with the level of skill and dedication of those in the class. 12 people in the class, only two were doing the same project (3 including me), and a great variety of experience levels made for a situation wherein you could learn from listening to Chris talk about each person's project and progress. What a great situation. 

Here are some pictures from the last two weeks. There are many of folks working, like this one of Don working on his fish relief, as well as some finished, or nearly finished, pieces mixed in. Some of the finished pieces you'll see are Phil's relief, Mark's ornamental, Jonathan's pelican, and my leaf. Just take note of the contrast between my leaf and my pelican, as it's the second and third carving of my life, respectively. A bit of a jump, no doubt, but I had some very good guidance along the way!