Last weekend I taught a very busy and successful weekend workshop at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in beautiful Warren, Maine. It was a beginning class and we covered a lot of basic instruction.
We carved an apple in relief as a beginning carving project that focuses on working in the correct grain direction. I try to vary that first basic lesson just to keep it new. Then we carved that wonderful beginning project – the camellia! It covers so many things for a beginner, that I just keep it as my favorite basic carving project. We were having so much fun with the camellia that time was cut short a little to finish the classic shell carving. We made it through all the steps, but just needed a little more time to completely finish it.
Then Monday thru Thursday I had the great opportunity of filming an intermediate woodcarving video for Lie-Nielsen (the basic carving video filmed earlier should be out shortly). It took me a while to get used to the studio lights, cameras, and that self-conscious awkwardness of being in the spotlight, but I survived.
The video is going to show how to carve 2 different flowers – a lilly and a rose (basically an extreme camellia) in deep relief. I don’t know how long the final film will be, but probably over 3 hours of carving instruction.
Isn’t it odd that I spend much of my time carving in my own workshop with a video camera nearly always running? THAT doesn’t make me uncomfortable. But put me in a studio atmosphere with other people around, and my tongue gets tied up, my brain freezes, and I can’t remember my name. Having said that, once a chisel gets in my hand – in that environment – I’m home! All in all, it went really well and I finally got tired of being self conscious and got over it. I’m excited to see how it looks on screen.
Today and tomorrow I get to play. My lovely companion and husband, Stephen, flew to Maine to join me for a few days. I just can’t get over how beautiful this part of the country is. I’m trying to convince Stephen that we need to somehow find a way to spend the 3 summer months here so we don’t have to deal with Charleston heat and humidity.
We have nearly had our fill of lobster – and are sampling various “lobster rolls” where they claim to be the best lobster rolls in the state. The first time I saw a sign for lobster rolls, I thought it was some sort of chinese egg roll with lobster in it. Nope. It’s a lobster in a roll. Go figure. So far, Red’s Lobster rolls in Wiscasset has come out on top. Now I understand why there is always a long line at this little road-side stand.
On Sunday, we are heading out of a little airport in Rockland. It is a little 9-seater Sessna with Cape Air. I flew in that way, and it was just such a fun experience. You definitely get an close and personal flying experience