[Woodcarver] Adirondack Hermits

[sally nye]

Thanks, Mike. Yes, Phelps was the name I was trying to  recall.  I had 
no idea there are so many characters.  Are there patterns for these 
folks or do you have to make your own?  Does Rick have kits for them 
with the history/background of each?

Why is French Louie your favorite...and have you carved him?  I've 
never seen him.

I hope we have some time to talk about this at the NEWR Roundup next 
month....between playing native flutes.  I can hardly wait.
Sally
http://www.geocities.com/fancarving/home.html

On Jun 5, 2004, at 10:30 PM, Mike Bloomquist wrote:

Sally,
There were several Adirondack hermits, and Rick Butz has carved all the
better known ones.  I'm happy to say I saw the collection twice, once 
at the
Adirondack Art Center in Old Forge and once at his home.  The two that 
made
it to his books and his videos was "Old Mountain Phelps" ("How to Carve
Wood" published by Tauton Press) and Alva Dunning and his Hound
("Woodcarving with Rick Butz" published by Mandrigal Press).

Someone in Ellen's family (Rick's wife) was caretaker of one of the 
Great
Camps.  Occasionally they put up and put up with Alva (I think it was 
Alva)
when he came to town for supplies.  Whomever it was, they washed  his
laundry for him while he was getting supplies one day and when he 
returned
he chewed them all out for putting such a stink into his clothes that he
wouldn't be able to properly hunt game for weeks.  My favorite is French
Louie, but there was Noah John Rondeau, Daniel Wadsworth, Ebenezer 
Bowen as
well as others.  It seems that every settlement up in the North Country 
had
one.

Rick is another instructor who includes a lot of background and history 
with
his projects.  The running commentary he does while he works on the 
episode
always amazed me.  I think he raised an eyebrow when I didn't ask how he
carves the way he does, but wanted to know his trick for simultaneously
carving and talking while still retaining all his fingers.  If I ever 
learn
that trick I'll die a happy man ;-).

Keep on Carvin'
-Mike Bloomquist->

Wooden Dreams Woodcarving
http://www.borg.com/~bloomqum