Introduction

I guess it’s no secret — I love woodcarving. For one thing, I love working with my hands, feeling a well-honed tool carve cleanly through the wood, and smelling the fragrant wood chips. I can just feel the tensions of daily life melt away.

Sometimes, when I’m really involved with a project, I almost feel like I’m in another time and place, a simpler world where the pace is set by the rhythm of tools carving through the wood, rather than by clocks or calendars. I always come back refreshed, with a new perspective on life.

Woodcarving has also given me the chance to meet a lot of new friends — especially through teaching. There’s something exciting about introducing people to carving and watching them discover the rewards and satisfactions for themselves. That’s why, when I was asked to help create a weekly public television series on woodcarving, I welcomed the opportunity to share my enjoyment with others.

Woodcarving is a simple art. You only need a few tools and basic techniques to get started; the rest comes with practice. But, once you have these basics, you’re only limited by your imagination. You always have new horizons to explore. You can carve for a lifetime and never be bored.