[Woodcarver] Why not? (was, When should a carving be retired from competion?)

[Joe Dillett]

Fellow carvers,

Why not develop national guidelines and certified judges like other events
such as Barbershop Quartets and Dog Shows? Those judges work up the ranks by
being judged by other more qualified judges to hone their judging skills. It
takes years to achieve the skill and reputation as a good judge. The event
pays big bucks to fly in certified judges for dog shows and barbershop
quartets so why don't we carvers?

Big bucks are why we don't. Maybe if the majority of our income depended on
winning competitions and our income levels would compare with the big time
dog breeders or a winning barbershop quartet there would be better
standards? Maybe there are enough woodcarvers out there, whose income
depends on winning and would benefit greatly by universal standards, who
might begin an organization to achieve universal standards and judging
certifications. Woodcarving is growing along with income levels so this
might not be such a far-fetched idea.

People like me, who never enter competitions, may need to begin entering if
there was a need to compare our work to a universal standard or suffer the
loss of income. Universal standards, qualified judges and artist
participation all boils down to money and I don't see it happening in the
near future.


Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-9290 phone
(815) 498-9249 fax
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum
http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett
**************************************************


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J and C Lukens" <jaycee at earthlink.net>
To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] When should a carving be retired from competion?


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>
> Mike....ive weighed in on this before, but you bring up a different aspect
> of the carver that goes from show to show with the same carving.....lets
> say that I place a carving in a show and get a first place.....IF this
> award boosts me up to the next level (IF we were under judging credentials
> and standards, either local AND national)....then it would, in my opinion,
> be acceptable to go to another show, but compete in the next
level....there
> is absolutely no contradiction in that move.....BUT it seems to me that
> just moving around the country with you carvings to see if you could get a
> better chance to get a better award, and that is what i believe they are
> doing, is playing the judging game......UNTIL we have a national standard
> by which we ALL can come to agreement with, we will probably see those who
> just rotate around the shows and gather ribbons like trophies and are not
> judged on their abilities, but only on their one-time creations......does
> this really provoke us to do better, or just stay the same??????
>
> John aka Mr Chips (say hello to the chat gang)
>
>
> > what I wanted to aim for (or maybe just gaze at it incredulously and
sadly
> > shake my head).  And finally, and this has been touched on, if I owned
the
> > carving in question (sweated over it... cried over it... bled over it),
I
> > would want to test it against as many competitions, other pieces, and
> other
> > judges as possible. Especially considering the variables in those areas.
> >
> > Cruising between levels, between different shows or competing with it at
a
> > lower level than it belongs is a whole 'nuther thing.  The record
keeping
> to
> > bring that under control is beyond most organizations.  I believe the
> > California Woodcarvers Guild might be the closest to having a handle on
> > that, but the view from this side of the States is kinda fur, and I
> wouldn't
> > want to speak for them.
>
>
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