The public is invited to the Blackhawk Woodcarvers Club’s 15^th Anniversary Juried Show, Saturday, August 15, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Tebala Shrine Center, 7910 Newburg Road, Rockford. Admission is $3:00, Boy Scouts and Service Personnel in uniform are free. Children under 12 with an adult are also admitted free. The competition has 17 classes for carvings, including three for Youth & Novice. The unique "Spherical Challenge" competition is repeated again this year.

Local carvers compete with other artists from Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Two judges have been brought into Rockford for this Show. Dennis Neubauer is well-known as a professional carver and the founder and owner of Denny Knives carving tool company. Greg Wirtz is president of Affiliated Wood Carvers, and a sponsor of the International Wood Congress. Ribbons are awarded to winners in all categories. Cash prizes are paid to the top artists in 14 classes and the Spherical Challenge.

Carvers come to this event to show their work, and are happy to answer questions about the art of reductive sculpting in wood. Some works are available for purchase directly from the artist. A few artists will be carving during the Show.

Guest Artist at this year’s show is internationally-known Rockford sculptor Salem Barker, who will have some of his stylized artwork on display. He describes his work as, "contemporary wood sculptures made one-of-a-kind from naturally fallen trees, for the interior environment."

A new arrangement this year will be two classes of Raffles. One will have modestly-valued art. The second will have art pieces worth up to hundreds of dollars each,. Included in the first Raffle class will be hand-carved copies of Swedish "Dala Horses." The originals were toys carved in the village of Mora, Dalecarlian Province, Sweden, since the 1500's.

Carl Hicks shows off a few of the Dala horses he carved for the first Raffle. The one in his right hand is decorated in a traditional pattern. The other two are more whimsical.

                            click on picture to make it larger

Bob Matthews has donated this super-detailed, life-size large-mouth bass for the other Show Raffle.

SEE YOU SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 - at Blackhawk Woodcarving Club’s Annual Show & Competition at the Tebala Shrine Center, 7910 Newburg Road, 61108, Rockford, IL. (See the map at the end of this Newsletter.) Show hours are from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission is $3 for adults, children under eleven are free with an adult, Armed Forces members and Boy Scouts in uniform are also free. Here are important points to remember.

(1) Round display tables are six feet in diameter, and are $10, each. If you want a table cloth, bring your own.
(2) Display your nicest carvings. Sell them if you wish.
(3) Enter the Competition. It’s fun. And pays cash prizes!
(4) Have you brought anything in to Bob or Don or Tony D. for the Raffle? This Show is how we make money to support our Club.
(5) Setup for the Show is Friday afternoon, the day before the Show. See Don Stansfield, and volunteer. It’s fun.
(6) Be an active part of the Show, and help out for one of the short shifts during the day.

"Four-inch Spherical Carving Challenge." And, it really IS a challenge. You should know the Rules by now. They have been in the Newsletter for the last two months. The Rules also have been distributed by Don Stansfield, personally.

Safety SHOULD be First - Two recent carving casualties point up the fact that tables don’t need protection from knives - hands do.

EXHIBIT A: Julie Meier was working on his bark carving a couple of weeks ago, and a window he was carving split out. Guess what his knife found behind the window? Yes, the hand that was holding the carving stopped his knife very well. The slash cut just below his index finger still looked pretty nasty - even a week later. But where was his glove? On the table in front of him.

EXHIBIT B: Gary Lundquist’s left thumb met up with a gouge that put a "smiley face" on said thumb. It took 15 stitches to close that opening. Where was his glove? On the table in front of him. (Thanks to Don Stansfield for this piece.)

This Kestrel Falcon won third place for Bob Matthews	Jim Griparis won Second Place	Jim Griparis won Third Place	Jim Griparis won Honorable Mention

BUSINESS MEETING

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Gary Lundquist, Secretary

Secretary’s Report - Read, and approved as read.

Treasurer’s Report -Interim report read by President Bob Hallstrom. The financial anomaly in our bank account has been resolved . All figures balance now.

Membership Report - Dona Wisner reported one new member: Bob Govig. Bob had been a member of Blackhawk Woodcarvers some time ago, and now he’s back. Welcome, Bob.

Newsletter Report - The last newsletter from the North Suburban Carvers tells how they have a Spring Show in the Naperville Art Center and a Fall show in DuPage County Fairgrounds. They also have a carving demonstration/exhibit in the County Fair itself. Carvers get free parking and free admission to the Fair. They say this helps promote woodcarving and their Club Shows.

Club Member Directory -This project will be published in two steps. Step One will be a couple of loose sheets with only pictures and names. This will be distributed free. Step Two will be in booklet form. The booklet will contain the pictures and names, but will also have all the personal write-ups that Lisa Hanus has collected from members. If we don’t have your picture and information sheet, we may have to invent stuff about.

Library Report - Bernie Budzynski had all the "Garage Sale" stuff out on a table for members to peruse. Also, the free back issues of Chip Chats, Woodcarving Illustrated, Carving magazine, and other carving and woodworking magazines.

Web Master Report - Check the Club web site. Gordy is up North for the Summer. No in-person report yet.

President Bob Hallstrom - Bob gave a detailed report on how he and Don Stansfield solved the financial anomaly of the Club bank account. Problem solved. All’s well. Everything’s cool.

Bob Hallstrom displayed the metal plaque for the Indian statue at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds. This the shows names of Club members who helped on the carving project. It will be mounted on the base of the ten-foot-tall statue.

VP Don Stansfield - Don led the discussion on the upcoming Show. There are still some jobs waiting for people. Bob Matthews recounted how much fun it is to be directly involved in the Show activities.

Club Members always have their personal work on display on individual tables. Not many folks have signed up for tables yet. (Get to it, people!) You’re welcome to sell your carvings at the Show. You should have registered by July 22.

Bob Hallstrom opened a discussion about the Raffle at the Carving Show. Because some of the carvings donated for prizes are of exceptional value, it was decided to have two separate styles of Raffle. There will be our traditional style where we sell tickets onesey-twosey, or "by the yard." This will be for prizes of relatively modest dollar value ... like Christmas tree ornaments and so forth. Then, there will be a second raffle with the prizes of considerable value, like Bob Matthew’s birds. There will be two distinctly different sets of raffle tickets to distinguish between the two sets of prizes. One set of tickets will be low priced, and the other will be much higher priced to reflect the much greater value of the prizes. The two classes of prizes will be displayed on separate tables. Each high-value prize will have its own separate container for Raffle tickets. In this way, people can place their ticket in the container for the prize on which they want to take the chance. Members commented on seeing this system working well at other clubs’ shows.

4x6 cards promoting the Show were passed out. One side is blank for address and stamp, and this makes them suitable for mailing to friends and relatives.

Larry Clark volunteered to take pictures of the winning carvings again this year.

Gary Lundquist and Bob Hallstrom had sawed out a whole bunch of Swedish Dalecarlian (Dala) horses for members to carve and paint. These will be used at the Club Show as Raffle prizes, and maybe even to be sold straight out, if someone wishes to buy one. They say that the Swedes who carve these things for the factory over there can complete the knife work on a horse in FIFTEEN MINUTES. It took your editor over an hour on each one.

Bob Hallstrom reported 5000 place mats that promote our Show are printed and will be used at the Stockholm Inn Restaurant the week before the Show. Thanks to Gary L. for all his leg work on this one.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Bob Hallstrom reported that all the squares for the Center For Sight & Hearing "quilt" are now taken. They should be finished soon, and the "quilt" will be assembled shortly after the Show in August.

SICK BAY REPORT

Tom Backer’s wife, Rochelle, passed away Saturday, July 25, in Meritor Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.

Franklin Johnson suffered a setback in his recuperation. However, after a short time in the hospital, he’s out, and even came in to carving Wednesday, July 22..

Jayne Pheiffer sent the Club a lovely card with a chatty letter and a check inside. She said she’s doing well, and misses the Members. Her grandson was staying with her for a while. Sounds like we may be getting Jayne back carving soon. Good!

THE PROGRAM

There was no entertainment program this month.
 

MEETING ADJOURNED AT 0945

CLUB SCHEDULE

Daffynition -

CASHTRATION, n. - The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

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.

CARVING SHOWS

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 15^th Annual Show & Competition. 3^rd annual Spherical Challenge competition w/cash prizes. Supplies, food, ribbons. 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.

October 25, Madison, WI - Capitol Area Carvers of Wisconsin will hold their annual Show & Sale at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave, 10:00AM to 4:00PM. Table rental $20, Additional $10 required if you are selling. John Weingandt, W11038 N. Lake Point Dr., Lodi, WI, 53555, 608-592-3556.

WANT ADS

Bernie Budzynski still has the coffee pot, thumb protectors, and metal bird legs for sale.

CIRCULATION STATEMENT: This issue of the Blackhawk Woodcarver is mailed to 67 members, 12 Friends of Blackhawk Woodcarving Club, and 11 copies to other carving clubs. Total circulation = 90. We send our Newsletter USPO, First Class, to assure the greatest benefits to all.