Viking Wood Carvers Association
Newsletter May 2003

VIKING Chapter
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Vol. 29 No. 4

 PRESIDENT
· Jim Forrey
 (952) 831-2758

VICE PRESIDENTS
· Jim Ayers
 (612) 721-6074
· Myron Asper
 (952) 445-7274

SECRETARY
· Nancy Dardis
· 952-888-3479

TREASURER
· Lew Frosmark
· 952-888-3650

PROGRAM COMMITTEE
· Jim Ayers
· Myron Asper

COFFEE COMMITTEE
· Keith Fredrickson
· Leonard Kampa

SHOW CHAIRMEN
· Carol “Swede” Bengtson
· Merle Erickson

Viking Web Site - http://www.russscott.com/~rscott/vwca/

May 12, 2003 Presentation–
"From Clay to Life: The Art of Sculpting" by Frank Brown. Frank is a professional sculptor, and motivational speaker, with his studio in downtown St. Paul, who competed his Masters of Fine Arts degree in 1992, and has continued to direct his art towards community building and empowerment of people.  A recipient of numerous awards, he has exhibited his works and lectured at many colleges, mostly throughout the Midwest. Some Viking members met Frank at our Har Mar show in April, with his 3-foot tall wax sculpture. Our business meeting will be brief so that Frank will have almost an hour to present his work, which will be illustrated with sculptures, tools, and slides. Woodcarvers who begin their work with a model sculpted in wax or clay will find his presentation especially enlightening, and inspiring. Don't miss this one, and bring a friend.
 

Meeting Minutes of Viking Woodcarver’s Meeting
April 14, 2003
By Nancy Dardis

 
President Jim Forrey called the meeting to order.  There were 52 members in attendance.  We also picked up several new members from the April show.  Welcome to you all!

Wishing You Well
Jim advised us of members who are recuperating from surgery or illness:
John Sailor, Bernie Enright and Stan Wenker.  Our thoughts are with you.

Business Reporting
Treasurer’s report.
As of April 1 -- $5,139.91
April show    -- $1,200.00
Total    --------- $6,339.91
Expense
Har Mar --------- $587.00
Swede ------------- $82.52
Merle ------------ $100.96
Total Balance - $5,569.43
 
The Treasurer’s report was approved.

The March Meeting minutes as printed in the previous newsletter were approved with one correction – the St. Joseph Catholic Church, which has commissioned carvings on display, is in WEST St Paul.

!!! 2003 Membership Dues – NO DUES = NO NEWSLETTER!!!

Annual dues were due on January 31, 2003.  If you have not paid your dues, this is the LAST newsletter you will receive until you come clean and redeem yourself.
Please send your check for $15.00 to: Lew Forsmark
2730 W 91st St.
Bloomington, MN  55431.
If you would like to order a nametag, you can include a note and $5 with your membership dues.

Name Tags
Viking club nametags can be ordered from Lew for $5.00.
Send your check for $5.00 to:
Lew Forsmark
2730 W 91st St.
Bloomington, MN  55431.

Editor’s Report
Russ Scott reported that the web page was down briefly last month when the service provider disappeared into cyber-space.  Russ has found a new provider and the web site is back up and operational.  The address is the same:  http://www.russscott.com/~rscott/vwca/

Vendors
Three vendors displayed their wares this month.
· John Krantz (Krantz Wood Sales)
· George Effrem (Woodcarvers Store and School)
· Jupe Houman – provided vices and blanks

Old Business
Program Committee – Jim Ayers spent some time at the April Har Mar Show talking to an artist/carver he will bring in for our May meeting.  Frank Brown is an accomplished carver with a large portfolio and current exhibits here in the Cities.  He will discuss developing character in your carvings - How to come up with ideas and execute them successfully.

Ken Brown from the Rochester Woodcarver’s Club is interested in sharing presentations.  He is currently putting together a presentation on ‘the science of carving watchamacallits – carving things that move’.  He has invited members of our club to come to Rochester and do presentations on our special skills in an effort to share the wealth of talent.  There would be some compensation for this effort.  Jim Ayers has the contact information.

April Show – An Educational Triumph
The spring show on April 5-6 at Har Mar Mall was a big success.  Although sales were not brisk, the individuals who attended with the plan of sharing their love of carving found many rewards.
The greatest need for additional volunteers was during takedown.  Come on …this is the destruction part – the fun part!  Don’t assume that people in attendance at the show on Sunday help with the takedown.  Although many do, some individuals – particularly those from out of town - leave early when takedown is not feasible.  We need to discuss ways to remedy this situation for future shows so all the work doesn’t fall to a handful of very tired people.

Swede and Merle received a big round of applause for all their work putting this show together.  A motion was voted on and passed unanimously to provide each of their significant others with a $50 check to take them out to dinner and celebrate a job well done.

In typical fashion, they are already planning the next show and hoping to improve.  One area of improvement already slated for change is the availability of information at the Viking Info Table.  We need brochures/handouts on ‘Getting Into Carving’, ‘How-Tos’, etc.  Anyone interested in helping design and/or write some of these over the next few months, contact Swede (952-884-4136).

An injured Walt wanted to thank all the people who graciously helped him gimp his goodies to his table.  Without you he claims he would still be setting up.

One casualty of the show was our little Viking Buddy who was ‘dehorned’ at some point.  Although we have all seen the ads about the Vikings not having horned helmets, we felt our little guy would look better without his boo-boo.  Ken Waldhauser (who carved him in the first place) has offered to restore him (and store him) for the next show.  Thanks Ken!

Mark Your Calendars for the June Meeting
A motion was voted on and passed to hold a meeting in June.  The by-laws specify the Viking meetings will be held September through May.  June has always been an optional meeting.

The meeting was closed with a ‘Sven and Ole’ joke – see what you missed if you weren’t there!
Show and Tell and the coffee break preceded a terrific presentation on Irish Harp making by Chad McAnally, a talented carver, musician, and storyteller – and as his dad has been heard to say ‘he plays the whistle too!’

Editorial: Last week we went to an "Art Crawl" in downtown St. Paul. We went from studio to studio viewing the art works that varied from sculptures to paintings to photography to woodcarvings. Art is largely a solo pursuit as each artist creates pieces that are pleasing to themselves in an isolated atmosphere with little feedback from others.

Some of the art we saw was hideous, some wonderful. Each artist seemed to live in his or her own isolated world, which made conversation difficult. It made me appreciate the relationships I have developed and the opportunities I receive as a member of a woodcarving club. In my experience, woodcarvers are a warm, friendly, and sharing group of people.

I have developed friendships, taken classes, gotten advice and feedback from many gifted carvers who are more than happy to share their knowledge and talents. These relationships and opportunities are something I value highly, so that even though the act of carving is an isolated pursuit the interactions of the members of the woodcarving clubs make me feel like I am a part of a family.  I heard a speaker on the radio talking about Urban Tribes (single urbanites who have formed family-like units with friends). For me the woodcarving clubs I belong to have become my tribe – a "Woodcarving Tribe".  So to the fellow members of my "Woodcarving Tribe" I say thanks for your warmth, support and friendship.
 

From the Carvers' Companion - Woodcarver Online Magazine
Loren Woodard, editor of Notes From the Net  http://www.carverscompanion.com/
GETTING FLESH TONES ON CARVINGS
January, 1998 Issue
 
From: Brigette Thompson <gertie@neilnet.com>
I have been using a painting method as taught by Eldon Humphreys when I paint any of my "other half's" caricatures. This method is not exact enough for realistic facial features but works wonderfully on caricatures.
Using an acrylic paint such as those favored by tole or folk art painters, I mix a very thin wash of "Medium Flesh" and a couple of drops of "Terra Cotta" (The brand I use is Ceramacoat but all paint companies will have a similar color under a different name). This wash is very thin and applied to the unsealed wood. You can adjust the amount of terra cotta to make the flesh less pink.
Then use a wet on wet wash of "Cadmium Red Light". For highlights I use "Tomato Spice" applied in a dry brush technique to the cheeks, nose, eyelids and very lightly on the fingernails and ears.
This has worked well for us and is less time consuming than other methods we have tried. I learned this method from Eldon Humphreys, an absolutely fabulous caricature carver and a heck of a nice guy to boot.
From: Richard Kellerhouse <rkeller@ibm.net>
While lamenting my inability to concoct a decent flesh tone for a face, one of the more successful carving marketers in our local club suggested:
1. If you want a decent flesh tone, stay away from the pinks and reds and go with the dull yellows and light browns.
2. Paint the carving leaving the face, hands, etc. unpainted (assuming basswood). Check out the result. Mix Linseed oil with a little mineral spirits and use that on the face, hands, etc.
Material from Woodcarver Online Magazine is copyright protected and is reprinted with permission. Visit http://carverscompanion.com for more information.
__________________

RED WING WOODCARVERS 9TH ANNUAL SHOW & SALE
OCTOBER 11 & 12, 2003
SAT 10 -5 PM SUN 10-4PM

The Red Wing Woodcarvers invite you to join them on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday October 12, 2003 At the Riverfront Center downtown Red Wing, Mn. This will be an opportunity for you to display and sell your woodcarvings. Space is limited so please register early. There will again be competition at all levels of carving, which we hope you will take a part in.
We also, plan on having our banquet Saturday evening. Additional information will follow to participants who are signed up. The cost is $35 will entitle you to one 8 foot skirted table and two chairs. This year we will need to limit participants to one table due to space limitations in the Riverfront Center. If you are interested in another table please note that on this form and we will try to accommodate as many as we can. These will be selected by registration date.
Deadline for registration is September 1, 2003 (but remember space is limited. Last year we were filled by July 1). If you have any questions about the show please contact Dennis Koenig at 651-388-0978 e-mail dekmk@redwing.net

VIKING MAGNUM OPUS
(SHOW AND TELL) – April, 2003

NAME                   CARVING            WOOD           FINISH               COMMENTS
__________________________________________________________________________________
Russell Scott                Oriental Bather          Basswood           Acrylics, Stain
Leo Mielke                  Old Bull Rider            Basswood           Acrylics
Ray Delong                  Nature Scene Relief  Oak/Leather
                                      Lincoln Relief             Church Pew
                                      Owl Relief
Erik Meade                 Voyager                       Oak Bark           Acrylics
                                      Wizard                         Pine Bark           Water Color             First Carvings
Lew Forsmark              Fishing Tales              Basswood           Acrylics/Deft           ‘Carving Fishermen’
                                      Clown                          Basswood            Acrylics/Deft           Clarence Moes Class
Jim Ward                      Indian Bust                 Butternut            Unfinished
Doug Witt                     2 Frogs on Sticks        Basswood           Acrylic/Air Brush
Walt Grittner                Mangle Board            Basswood            Stained
                                      Mangle Board             Basswood           Natural Polyurethane
Ken Waldhauser          Pintail                          Basswood           Acrylics
Duane Edward              Spoon                          Basswood           Acrylics

_________________________________

St Joseph Catholic Church, located at Seminole and Butler in West St Paul, has just taken delivery two of six woodcarvings representing Joseph, son of Jacob in the Old Testament and Saint Joseph in the New Testament.  You are invited to stop in any time to see these magnificent works installed at the front of the main church.  Although the building is always open, the lighting during the day is preferable. The carvings were commissioned from a group of Canadian carvers.

VENDORS

 
Woodcarvers Store and School
3056 Excelsior Blvd., Minneapolis, MN  55416-0127 (612) 927-7491 (www.woodcarversstore.com)

Jim Abicht, Fine woodworking
Specializing in bases for carving projects  (651) 451-7217

Ivan Whillock Studio
122 NE 1st Avenue, Faribault, MN 55021  (507) 334-8306 (www.whillock.com)

 Krantz Wood Sales - Carving & Specialty Woods
 16748 Stanford St., Forest Lake, MN  55025  (651) 464-5632 (Evenings)

David Lindroth, Custom Cut Woods for Woodcarvers & Artists
8150 – 137th St. W.  Apple Valley, Mn  55124  (952) 432-7066

Nelson-Johnson Wood Products, Inc.
3910 Bryant Ave No., Mpls., MN  55412    (612) 529-2978 - cell phone (612) 644-4567

Chris Thompson, Carver and Instructor, (651) 457-4130

Gen Jansen, Carver and Instructor, (320) 252-3966

Bob Masse “Ruff-Cuts”
4930 Whitcomb Dr, Madison, WI  53711  (608) 271-2883

Brad Oren Sculpture Supply
Complete source for stone, wood, clay, abrasives & tools.

Rockler Stores:
Maplewood, MN  (651) 773-5285; Minneapolis, MN  (612) 822-3338;
Burnsville, MN  (952) 892-7999; Minnetonka, MN (952) 542-0111
 
Woodcraft Supply
9741 Lyndale Ave S, Bloomington, MN  (952) 884-3634

Gregg McCabe, Stubai tool distributor
425 Madison St NE, Minneapolis, MN (612) 379-9342

Garry N. Kolb - Woodcarving Supplies
2528 24 Ave NW, Rochester, Mn. 55901 (507) 289-9138

Copperhead Road Logging and Lumber
Joe Jewett – 54852 Great River Rd. Palisade, Mn. 56469 (218) 845-2832

“Fred and Elaine Stenman have been producing Hand Carved original rural and wildlife wood carvings for the past seventeen years. Elaine's excellent craftsmanship and Fred's original drawings are at the center of the couple's success.”
http://www.stenmanstudios.com/

Saint Croix artist Elaine Stenman is offering a class on shallow relief carving at the Forest Lake Senior Center in Forest Lake on June 6-9. Cost is $80.00. This is a great opertunity to have an instuctor of this quailty. For more information, contact Ester Allen at: 651-464-2087