[Woodcarver] RoundUp and other digressions

[Daniel Heine]

Maura,

You said it all much better than I, but your thoughts are the same as mine.

Thanks,
Dan Heine


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Linehan718 at aol.com>
To: <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 1:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] RoundUp and other digressions


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> Okay CarvingJack     heres my 2 cents from someone who has only attended 1
> NEWR roundup.  This was the one and only roundup i have attended so let me
speak
> as a newcomer to this type of thing.
>   I started carving out of the blue one day.  Had a workshop, had a broken
> ankle, had some wood in that workshop. Couldn't stand to use any of the
power
> tools. Boredom led to picking up a knife.  first attempt was rather crude,
> little 1.5" penguin.  came out recognizable.  over next couple of weeks,
whittled a
> few more small things.  Began looking into carving tools and turned around
> one day and realized I had been bit, bit hard.  I could think of nothing
but
> vises, chisels, better carving wood and patterns and sharpening.  my
workshop
> turned from a dyi home repair shop to a carvers cave.  i carved every
chance i
> could and when I couldn't, I was thinking about it.  But there i was, all
alone,
> no one to talk carving with.  Little surfing around on the net and I
crashed
> into a whole new world.   I have been on the internet carving lists for
almost
> 2 years now.  I had been envious of everyone who seemed to know each other
> and talked about seeing each other at this place or that place.  Looking
thru
> albums I was so impressed with the talent of the people I was meeting. I
was
> inspired to carve more.....and better. I learned alot but eventually i got
to a
> point where I needed to see someone else carve.  I wanted to see what tool
they
> chose, how they held the tool, how they made the cuts.  I wanted to see
> someone do an eye.  Then someone started talking bout Newr 2004 on one of
the
> lists.  When I looked at a map, i realized it was only 3 hours away.
Being out on
> workers comp, I was just making ends meet but i started giving up small
> luxuries.  somehow i was gonna make it to the roundup.  How much would 3
days run.
> lets see, cheap clean motel,  60 a night.  thats 180  60 for the blanks i
> bought for my 2 all day classes.  now were at 240.  add  200 for all misc
> expenses, gas, meals for 2 people, t shirt, raffles, sme new carving items
and wood.
> okay so lets round it off to 450, which really coverd 4 days for 2 people,
1
> so we could sightsee in the poconos.   so 450  american cash.  What did i
get
> for that?  I got the greatest 4 days I've ever had.  I met the best group
of
> people.  honest, genuine, friendly, just plain nice people.  People who
wanted
> and needed to make woodchips, newcomers as addicted as I, old timers with
so
> many years of stories and carving.  some who actually, if you can dream
it,
> actually made their livings carving.  Talk about talent and inspiration.
My god i
> was in heaven.  Not only was i meeting these people on the lists who were
> anonymous up till then,   I was talking carving with them, i was watching
people
> carve, i was carving!  I felt as if I had been welcomed into this big
special
> society.  I even got to be part of some evening extracurricular
activities.  I
> was like one of the gang.  these were my idols. I was in heaven.
>      I took 2 all day classes, chosen only because of the subject.  I
didn't
> know any of the instructors so could'nt base it on that.  What I learned
in
> those two days is knowledge i will use for the rest of my life. I met 2 of
the
> most talented and encouraging instructors, who i now consider friends. I
> produced 2 of my best carvings yet.  the teaching was done in such a
relaxed  no
> pressure way.  I have looked up the prices of taking a class with both of
these
> instructors and understand what I got for free.  Which is all but icing on
the
> cake. Would I now turn down a chance for other lessons with those 2
> instructors?  I really don't think so.  In fact was going to go to a class
by one of
> them which was in my area, last month but the class fell thru.  The other
> instructor, was someone who i came to admire and respect in my couple days
of seeing
> him.  He inspired something in me and if the financial opportunity
presented
> itself for me to take the trip,  I would gladly pay for his class. I
enjoyed
> the roundup so very much.  Will i attend again, you bet ya, will I attend
some
> free classes, heck ya.  But you know what,  I would even pay for the
honour of
> being part of such a wonderful thing.  And if there is ever a shortage of
> instructors,  I would be happy to try and teach somebody something, for
free.
> Because if there's anything I have learned its that this carving community
is one
> of the most caring, sharing, gifted bunch of folks I have ever known and
I'm
> glad to be a part of it.  Thanks all you special people.
>
> Maura carvin' in nyc
> http://www.picturetrail.com/whiteknight718
>


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