2024-08-23 – Foundations of Spoon Carving: Crafting a Spoon with Artistry

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Join folk artist and renowned teacher Liesl Chatman in learning foundational spoon carving skills while carving smaller Scandinavian-style eating spoons. From axe work to facets and keels to rims, this class will focus on understanding the role of both hands, improving body mechanics, and maintaining mindfulness in the process of removing and ultimately sculpting wood with edge tools.

Using templates, patterns, and 3-dimensional thinking to produce pleasing and consistent designs, students will simultaneously make two 5-inch pocket spoons using an unconventional double-blank technique developed by Liesl called the “gullwing.” Students will be using dry basswood, which allows everyone to slow down and concentrate on building skills. An added bonus is that hands won’t become as fatigued as working with greenwood as it dries. All of the techniques, however, transfer well to greenwood.

Plus, students will make their own pocket-sized zine using Liesl’s hand drawn handouts—all sized to be pasted into a Moleskine 5x8 inch notebook. These approaches, techniques, and skills, coupled with the detailed zine, are building blocks for future spoon carving projects of all shapes and sizes.

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Click here to learn more about instructor Liesl Chatman.

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Vesterheim’s woodworking classes are supported in part by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from the Eric and Joan Norgaard Charitable Trust.