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Blackhawk Woodcarver Blackhawk Woodcarvers at Kenrock Community Center 3218 11th Street, Rockford, IL., Volume XVI, Issue 4, April, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Blackhawk
Woodcarvers Carving sessions
every Wednesday 8:30-11:00 am
(Visitors always welcome) |
IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS that we learned of the tragic death of Rosalie Wesley’s husband, Larry. He was killed in an automobile accident on Thursday, March 12. Some of the Blackhawk Woodcarvers officers and members attended the memorial service in Woodstock on Monday afternoon, March 16. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rosalie and her daughter, Molly.
Don Stansfield, Bob Hallstrom, & Franklin Johnson
are shown working on
their
special
carving lessons from Branson, Missouri, during the first week of March. Their
projects were selected individually, and they had teachers appropriate for their
respective carvings.
Don Stansfield
carving his cane.
Bob Hallstrom carved FOUR projects that week.
Franklin Johnson
worked on a beautiful deep relief carving. (picture unavailable)
March Newsletter
missed pictures from Harley Refsal’s February class on Scandinavian caricature carving.- Tod and Dona Wisner join
Gordy Moscinski to have their picture taken with
Harley Refsal.
(picture not available)
-
Harley is explaining his flat-plane technique
Judy Suit.
Click on picture to make it larger
Our Carving Show
- is August 15. This is NOT too far off to start thinking about what you will give to the Raffle. This is our best fund-raising opportunity, and we must make it good. A club runs not only by fun and fellowship. It needs at least a modest amount of cash. How many carvings can you contribute? Five? Seven? Ten?Stir up your creative molecules and design your entry for our "Four-inch Spherical Carving Challenge." Entries will be judged at our Annual Carving Show, August 15, 2009, at the Tebala Shrine Center. Rules are simple. See your March Newsletter for the five rules. Ribbons and cash awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place. The cash prizes will be $50, $30, and $20, respectively. Get a head start on making a sphere, roughouts are available from Don Stansfield for $9 each.
Why is it that one careless match can
start a forest blaze, but it takes a whole box to start a barbecue?
MARCH BUSINESS MEETING
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Gary Lundquist, Secretary’s Report - Read, and approved as read.
Treasurer’s Report
-Read, and approved as read.Membership Report
- Dona Wisner reported two new members: Don Christenson and Shirlee Calvert. Don was at the meeting and was introduced to the Club. Shirlee was not attending that day.Newsletter Report
-(the Newsletter IS the report).Library Report
- Bernie’s back from Florida. After inspecting the Library, he reports members are doing a good job of maintaining the books and videos and returning them to the Library.Web Master Report
-President Bob Hallstrom
had several items:1 - According to the Mid-America Woodcarvers newsletter, Dennis Neubauer will have a class carving knife handles.
2 - Bob passed sign-up sheets around the Club for club shirts, name tags, and aprons.
3 - Macktown Restoration Center is cutting down a large cottonwood tree to make a dugout canoe from the log. Anyone looking for bark to carve, call Bob.
4 - The Gathering , an annual Stephen Mack/Macktown frontier re-enactment is April 24, 25, and 26. They’re looking for carvers to carve there.
5 - Bob Hallstrom still has a few Club patches for sale @ $5 each, and car window decals for free.
Rich Andersen walked off with first place in the wood spirit pin carving competition. Prize was a copy of "Carving Wood Spirits" by Laura Irish.
Gary Lundquist reported:
1 - He has been contacted by Rollie Greenberg of the Boy Scouts of America. They’re looking for a couple of Club carvers to teach woodcarving for the BSA woodcarving merit badge. Marshall Field has done some work with the BSA in the past.
2 - Gary has contacted the Stockholm Inn about Blackhawk Woodcarvers providing the restaurant with placemats to promote our August Club Show. These would be 13 ½" x 9 ½" , we pay the costs and provide 5,000 copies, as well as a proof copy before final printing. These should include a "thank you" to Stockholm for the favor.
Dave Meyer gave a brief announcement about the beautiful, huge gingko tree trunk that is being carved in Hampton, Illinois, at the Hampton Heritage Center. You can easily find Hampton. Just take I-80 towards Iowa, but DO NOT CROSS THE RIVER. In stead, take the last exit in Illinois and turn left on Illinois Hwy-84. Hampton is only a couple of minutes down the road. A single-page attachment to this Newsletter explains all about the Heritage Center, the carving, and the professional wood sculptor doing the work. It looks like it would be well worth a trip.
If you’re a camper, there are a couple of nifty Corps of Engineers campgrounds right between the exit on I-80 and the Hampton City Limits. Check with Dave Meyer for details.
Linda Mensching
brought in a program/catalog from The Clearing in Door County, Wisconsin. The cover of this catalog of classes featured Roger Benedict’s very large relief carving. If you remember, Roger did this on commission a year or so ago for The Clearing to use as a wall hanging. Besides using a picture of Roger’s carving on the cover, there is a short feature inside with scenes from the carving.Mary Wilder Reports
- The Hoo Haven Bird Carving Class has been canceled because of lack of students. Renowned carver Josh Guge may reschedule another class if interest develops. Mary will keep us posted on this.John Wacker
reported that Marshall Field, Jr. presented a program on woodcarving to the Masonic High Twelve Club, and was quite well received.Dolores Cascio
reminded us that she still has some prime carving wood for sale. Prices are really cheap: "any reasonable offer."Many Thanks
to Don Stansfield & Bob Hallstrom - they have our August Show listed in all three premier carving magazines. Not every club promotes their shows this well.MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:45 am.
I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end, and think, "Well, that’s not going to happen!"
SHOW & TELL
photos by Larry Clark
"Show ‘n Tell" items are always displayed on the table(s) up in front.
Click on a picture to make it larger
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THE PROGRAM
Sculptor Jack Kromer, proprietor of Kromer Rocking Horses, told us about how he got started in carving and what led him to create hand-carved heirloom-quality rocking horses. Along the way, he has carved, sculpted clay, and created commercial items that are cast in aluminum. Bad weather prevented him bringing along one of his rocking horses for the program, but he did bring along pictures and a saddle.
The saddles on Kromer Rocking Horses are actual, fully-functional, Western-style leather saddles, just scaled down from standard saddles. Jack has them custom-made by a saddle maker in Pecatonica, Illinois . The saddle seems odd, being so tiny. It is about the size you would use on a large dog. Remarkable.
A finished horse stands about 48" high, from floor to top of the head, and is about 60" long because of the rockers. The rockers themselves are made by a cabinet maker in Savanna, Illinois. While conventional rocking horse rockers are usually sawn out of one piece of wood, Kromer horses have laminated rockers ... very rugged, and obviously built to last many lifetimes. The body is a glue-up of 8-quarter wood. It can be black walnut or cherry or whatever the customer wishes. The head is carved separate from the body and then attached with a floating mortise and tenon. Carving is done mostly with chisels and mallet. While a certain amount of sanding is done to facilitate painting, Jack leaves most of the tool marks on. He wants there to be no question about this being carved by hand.
It takes about a month to complete a Kromer rocking horse, and they sell for up to $5,000 each, depending on the size of the horse and the wood used. Jack Kromer is in Lanark, Illinois. He divides his carving time between a couple of places. Phone numbers are 815-541-7315 and 815-244-9904. His web site is
www.kromerart.com. During the winter, he mostly carves ducks and birds.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
"Pins For Kids" - President Bob Hallstrom read thank you notes from OSF St. Anthony (2) and from Swedish American Hospital expressing gratitude for Valentines pins we donated in our "Pins For Kids" program.
Bob also reminded us that we need angels for the Rockford Memorial Hospital Survivors reunion in November. Small pins like the angels we did for last Christmas world be fine. These make nice, quick, and easy projects for on a vacation trip. Get cutouts from the Club, or make your own.
SICK BAY REPORT
John Winter had quite a spell of
being "under the weather’ during February and March. He was finally admitted to
the hospital for a gall bladder operation. Successful. He’s home and
recuperating now.
A chicken crossing the road is "poultry in motion."
CLUB SCHEDULE
Business Meetings & Special Events
-ð April 15 - Quarterly carving project: Gordy
Moscinski - carving & woodburning a feather
ð May 20 -
ð June 2 - Club Summer Picnic
ð June 17 -
ð July 15 - Quarterly carving project
ð August 15 - 15th Anniversary Show &
Competition at Tebala Shrine Center
ð August 19 - Business meeting & Show recap
ð September 16 - Select committees for nominating
Club Officers for 2010, and choosing Club "Member of the Year"
ð October 21 - Quarterly carving project
ð November 19 - Recognize Carver/Member of the
Year, Nomination of officers
ð December 16 - Election of Officers, Christmas
Party & Swap Meet
I had to wait three weeks for a doctor appointment. When I got there, he said, "I wish you had come to me sooner."
CARVING CLASSES
This info is copied from other sources. Classes may or may not be filled. Be sure to check for yourself. We have no reasonable way of knowing any details other than those shown.
April 3 - 5, Fri - Sun, Bettendorf, IA - Realistic Polar Bear Scavenging In A Dump with Kirk Curtis , power tools & hand tools, special fur texturing technique, $260 + $30 blank, The Woodcraft Shop, 2724 State Street, 800-397-2278.
April 15, Our Club Business Meeting - For the quarterly carving project, Gordy Moscinski will have a class on carving a bird feather, then painting it and woodburning some details on it, Bring a knife, a small V-gouge, some fine sand paper, and a woodburner. Blanks will be furnished. If you don’t have a small V-gouge or woodburner, don’t worry. There will be one you can borrow.
April 25 - 26, Sat & Sun, Bettendorf, IA, The Art of Pyrography, with Gen Grayling with different instruction projects graded for beginners and advanced wood burners. $110. The Woodcraft Shop, 2724 State Street, 800-397-2278.
April 7 - April 28, Freeport, IL, Brad Gusloff teaches a class on carving Wood Spirits in found wood Tuesdays @ 6 - 8 PM. Oakdale Mogle Center. Sponsored by Freeport Park District, class #730-1, must register by March 24, 2009. Call 815-235-6114 for details.
May 29 - 31, Fri - Sun, Bettendorf, IA, Low Relief Carving Embellished With Woodburning, Elaine & Fred Stenman, 2-stage work to determine skill levels, elementary work for beginners, more detailed work for advanced students. Carving, sanding, wood burning, painting, $145. The Woodcraft Shop, 2724 State Street, 800-397-2278.
June 22 thru June 26, Mon - Fri, Bettendorf, IA, International Woodcarvers Congress seminars. 26 separate classes. Some one-, two-, and three-days. Six are even 5 days. Teachers from Austria (Europe), Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida. Carol & Larry Yudis of The Woodcraft Shop, 2724 State Street, Bettendorf, Iowa, 52722, 800-397-2278.
September 28 - October 3, Sandwich, IL - Gathering Of Woodcarvers (GOW) Sandwich Fairgrounds. Bob Mau 630-536-4253;
www.camperjohn.com/gow.
CARVING SHOWS
These are shows within 3 to 4 hours one-way drive time of Rockford.
April 18 - 19, Waterloo, IA - Northeast Iowa Woodcarving Show, Waterloo Center For The Arts, neiwcarver.org.
April 25-26, Naperville, IL - Artistry in Wood North Suburban Carvers, Rubin Recreation Center, 305 West Jackson,, 9 to 4 both days. Admission: donation. Exhibitors must be club members. John Hachemer, 415 West Benton Ave, Naperville, IL, 60540, 630-355-6589.
April 26, Appleton, WI - Mid-Wisconsin Chippers Woodcarving Show, in Monarch Gardens, 3211 Spencer, 10AM-4PM. Contact Jayne Neuenfeldt, 920-982-5582.
May 2, Sheboygen Falls - Kettle Karvers’ Artistry in Wood, at Municipal Bldg, 375 Buffalo St, $2 admission. Contact 920-458-4947
May 2-3, Bloomington, IL - Sculptures in Wood show, sale, and contest, Cornbelt Carving Club. Challenger Learning Center, 2901 East Empire. Sat 9AM-5Pm, Sun noon-5PM. $2 admission, children under 12 free accompanied by an adult. Contact Mike Hartzler, 309-662-4276,
www.cornbeltcarving.com.June 20-21, Coon Valley, WI - Lloyd Thrune Woodcarving Show at the Norskedalen Nature & Heritage Center. Contact Tom Ladwig 608-582-4353.
June 25 - 28, Bettendorf, IA - International Woodcarvers Congress competition & show. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center, 2021 State Street. Carol & Larry Yudis of The Woodcraft Shop, 2724 State Street, Bettendorf, Iowa, 52722, 800-397-2278.
August 13-23, Des Moines, IA - Mid-Iowa Woodcarvers Assoc sponsors and demonstrates at the Iowa State Fair. Peoples’ Choice Contest. Dorcas "Dee" Wolfe 515-244-4428.
August 15, Rockford, IL - Blackhawk Woodcarvers 15th Annual Juried Show and Third annual Spherical Challenge competition w/cash prizes, ribbons. Vendors with carving supplies and food. 11AM - 4PM. Admission: $3, children under 12 free. Tebala Shrine Center, 7910 Newburg Road, 61108. Contact Don Stansfield, 1508 West Lincoln Blvd, Freeport, IL, 61032, 815-235-0075.
September 27, Utica, IL - Valley Carvers 21st annual judged & juried show and sale. Starved Rock State Park Main Lodge, 9AM-3PM. Bob Wills, 190 West Willow St., Coal City, IL 60416; 815-634-3086.
WANT ADS
Free service for individuals, clubs, and vendors (members and non-members ). The item MUST be related to carving. Mail listing to Blackhawk Woodcarver, PO Box 15488, Loves Park, IL 61132, by third Wednesday of the month to be in the next month’s Newsletter.
WOOD ETC - Dolores Cascio - Is cleaning house on her excess carving wood. No reasonable offer will be refused.
CIRCULATION STATEMENT: This issue of the Blackhawk Woodcarver is mailed to 64 paid-up members, 12 Friends of Blackhawk Woodcarving Club, and 9 public relations copies to other carving clubs. Total circulation = 85. We send all copies of our Newsletter out USPO, First Class, to assure the greatest possible benefit to all.
