Exotic Wood!

Do you like exotic woods?  Their amazing figure and color seems to parallel natures rules for animals.  Namely, if it's pretty, it's probably dangerous!  Here is the part where my Mother would shake her head and walk away...  The danger didn't stop me.  LOL

Visit my personal blog to read about my adventure and to see what may be the worlds first Purpleheart chainsaw carving :-)

Click Here for my blog.

November 2012 Newsletter.

The November newsletter is out! :)
Volume 1, Issue 2 of the Tri-Cities Woodcarvers Association ready for your reading pleasure.  Click Here!

Tri City Artists Open Studio Tour

Tri City Artists Open Studio Tour is a self guided driving tour with an opportunity to delve into 15 artist's studios located in the greater Tri City region. This year, 16 fine and varied artists are participating. Join us on Nov 10 & 11 (11am-4pm).

Map available here.

The Newsletter Has Arrived!

Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Tri-Cities Woodcarvers Association newsletter has arrived! This issue contains contact information for club officers, meeting minutes, carving event and 'happening' information, a little humor, plus Tips and Hints.

Read the Newsletter online by clicking here.

Let's not forget the Club Facebook page.  Log in and give us a "Like" at:
http://www.facebook.com/TriCitiesWoodCarvers

It's Pumpkin Season :-)

This past Saturday Ron Lunde, Bob Gough, and Butch Elrod spent a few hours carving pumpkins in front of La Villa Espresso in Pasco, WA.  We were supplied with 2 pumpkins each with the option to carve pumpkins purchased by La Villa customers.

We greatly over estimated our ability to speed carve and found the 2 starter pumpkins were more than enough for the time allotted! :) In the photo below, starting at the left, these were carved by Ron, Butch, and Bob.

'tis the Season....

As much as I hate to see it, retailers are offering Christmas decorations for sale already :(  Personally, I've barely started to carve holiday inventory.

How about you?  Have you been carving holiday themed items?  The rest of us would like to see your work!

Send your holiday themed carving photos to Butch@WoodHacker.com, along with information about yourself and the photos, so I can include them on this blog.

Pumpkin Carving Demo Saturday!

This Saturday, 13 October /  11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., three local wood carvers will be carving pumpkins in front of La Villa Espresso on Road 68 in Pasco, just north of Yokes.  Come buy a pumpkin and have it carved by the "professionals" ;-)

Kennewick Art Walk / Whale Watching

The Killer Whale wood sculpture has been on the local television news and is getting lots of attention on Facebook.  I hope this will attract more people to the Kennewick Art Walk this Thursday.

During the Art Walk, my work will be on display at You & I Framing & Art Gallery as well as in the new Smoke Stop Vapor shop.

If you'd like to see the news video about my Orca being in the Art Walk, you can see it here.

The Orca have landed!

It's not my typical chainsaw carved style but it's a dandy wood sculpture!  Today I delivered this Orca cow and calf, mounted on a carved base, to the You & I Framing and Gallery at 214 W 1st Ave., Kennewick, WA.

If you like spalted wood, quarter sawn grain, tight joinery or a glassy smooth finish, you might enjoy seeing this sculpture in person.  The large orca is 60" long and the calf half that length.

Orca sculture by Butch Elrod / WoodHacker.com 

The Wood Hacker website has been redesigned and is up to date with many new photographs in the gallery.  Have a look!

It's time for our RENDEZVOUS!

Rendezvous!

When - Jun 8 – 10, 2012
Where - Benton County Fairgrounds, Kennewick, WA (map)

Description - Tri-Cities Wood Carver’s 15th Annual Rendezvous
Benton County Fairgrounds, Kennewick, WA
June 8, 9, & 10, 2012

Flyer at:
http://woodhacker.com/images/tcwc/2012%20Rendezvous%20Flyer%20full%20page.pdf

The Party is Over...

Our Artistry in Wood show has past and we've all had a few days to recover. I suppose it's time to start making wood chips again...

On our FaceBook page, I have started adding photo albums of my own works as well as those of other local wood carvers/sculptors.  I'd like to add photos of everyone's work so be sure to contact me if you want to be represented there.

Once again, how about joining the modern world and adding a membership page to this blog so people can join the club online?  I can do all the work and it's probably the easiest way to attract new and younger members. All I need is permission and cooperation from the club officers.

It's SHOW TIME!

This is the weekend of our Artistry in Wood juried art show at Tri-Tech in Kennewick, WA.  Setup starts this afternoon with the unloading of many, many tables as well as the big blue & white tent out front.  Doors open at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Breakfast and lunch can be bought in the cafeteria.

Tell your friends and your neighbors because this show is a cheap way to entertain the family for a day :-)

Chili, Horses, & Wood Carvings.

11 March 2012 is the Rattlesnake Ridge Riders 26th Chili Feed and Ride at Horn Rapids Park.  

Display at 2011 Chili Feed.

In 2011 I donated an eagle carving to secure a vendor spot for selling my chainsaw carvings.  I was joined by Bob Gough, Juan Marin, and Niel Wesche who, in exchange for helping me set up and sell, displayed and sold tickets for the club's raffle bench.  In fact, the winning ticket was sold at the Chili Feed! 


I have again reserved a vendor spot which I am willing to share with any wood carver who helps me set up.  

=
It's a one day event and the chili feed is cheap :) 

Tri-Cities Knap-In

Tri-Cities/Howard Amon Park Knap-in  Memorial Day Weekend
May 26th - 28th, 2012 
Official Details & Contact Info - CLICK HERE

Greg Greger and the CREHST Museum will be hosting a knap-in over the Memorial Day weekend, May 26th through May 28th, 2012 at the Richland Amon Park. Participants will be "knapping" obsidian, flint, chert and other stone into arrow/spear points and knife blades.

The CREHST Museum (Columbia River Environment, History, Science and Technology) of Richland, WA., has agreed to co-sponsor a gathering of Knappers  for a Knap-In.  It will be held at the Howard Amon Park on the East edge of Richland next to the Columbia River.   The specific Knap-in location will be the  at the North end of  Amon Park next to the boat launch with open spaces and trees for shade. This is one block east of the main North/South street of Richland, George Washington Way.

Relief Carving & Painting Class!

Learn to carve an eagle in a feather 
with Juan Marin!

Time:
Mar. 10th, 2012.  7 hour class 8am  to 4pm with a lunch break.

Location:
Whites Unfinished Furniture,  2 West Kennewick Avenue, Kennewick, WA.

Fee:
Cost is $55 for material and shop rental.  Bring own tools and chair.

Space is limited ! 10 or 12 people maximum for this relief carving and painting class.
The class will be on how to make an eagle in a feather and how to paint your project.

All sign ups can be made at Marin Chip Carving
            509 531-3123    

1st 12 will be guaranteed a spot and a waiting list will be made incase of any cancellations.

NEW CALENDAR!

As you can see, on the tabs above, an events calendar has been added to this blog.  To view the new calendar, simply click the 'Calendar' link above.  If the on-blog version seems a bit small, there is a link to a full-page version at the bottom of that page. I hope to make this a useful resource by adding wood carving events from all of Washington and our neighboring States.

Submit any missing events to me either by a comment here or through the FaceBook page.

Another new feature, which you may have noticed, is the "favicon" {favorite icon}.  I used an image of the traditional wood carvers mallet to create a favicon for the blog.  This icon should appear on the tab at the top of your browser and possibly in your Favorites or Bookmark list.

Tri-Cities Wood Carver’s 15th Annual Rendezvous
Benton County Fairgrounds, Kennewick, WA
June 8, 9, & 10, 2012

Overview
Our goal is to provide an informal forum for carvers, potential carvers and friends to gather and socialize, exchange carving techniques and ideas and to generally promote carving. Free, short (3-4 hours) classes will be offered as will a number of free, hands-on tutorial sites for “drop-ins” to sit down and actually carve or wood-burn, depending on the availability of presenters.

Click Here for Rendezvous flyer.

CORRECTION

I have received corrected information on the Spokane Wood Carvers 2012 rendezvous. Please see the prior post for corrected information.

2012 Artistry in Wood - Prospectus

18th Annual Artistry in Wood
with Juried Show and Sale
Sponsored by
Tri-Cities Wood Carvers Association

Click here to download the show prospectus

2012 Artistry in Wood Flyers!

We've got flyers to help promote the 2012 Artistry in Wood show. One file is for a full page flyer and the other is for multiple small flyers. Download the large flyer here or the small flyer here.

Sample images:

Spokane Wood Carvers 2012 Rendezvous

This information was corrected on 18 January 2012

June 1-3, 2012
Spokane Wood Carvers will host our 11th annual Rendezvous at:
KOA Campgrounds
3025 N. Barker Road
Spokane Valley.

The rendezvous is 2 ½ days of fun, food, carving and friendship. A great list of instructors will offer classes at very minimal cost. The variety includes chip carving, relief caving, in-the-round, and woodburning (bring your woodburner). Public welcome - Come find out. A potluck will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and a barbeque at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. As always, the raffle will provide you with an opportunity to take home lots of valuable items. Tools and sharpening will also be available.

Contact:
Roger Storey - (509) 467-3342
or
Tim Rahman - (509) 244-3467
or SpokaneCarversInfo@Hughes.net

What are you carving?

I haven't been given a lot of instruction on how to use this blog but I figure I cannot go wrong posting anything about the club or it's members.  At least so long as carving is involved.  So I need to hear from some of you.  If you're carving something interesting, teaching a class, giving a demonstration, etc,,, send a couple of photos to me along with a short write up.  The more we post here the better to attract new members!
Email me at Butch@WoodHacker.com

Speaking of photos! Here is a photo of Bob Gough "carving" some pecan logs with a log splitter.  All of the shavings and scrap were donated to a local non-profit for their winter heating needs.