[Woodcarver] Machine Carvings and List Activity

[Charles Trella]

Hello everyone!  Don't pipe up much on this list as I am a rank novice who 
doesn't feel too qualified to answer questions.  I met a few of the folks on 
this list at the last NE Woodcarver's Roundup and had a great time there 
learning to carve bark spirits with Mike Bloomquist, carve bark Gnome Homes 
with Tony Erikson, and got to have some fine jamming with them (Mike plays 
some awesome Native American Flute, and Tony is true bluesman on the guitar 
and vocals!).

Greetings and Happy New Year to one and all.

I posted recently on a couple of the other Yahoo carving groups about my 
inactivity since the round up - both carving wise AND discussion wise. I 
have been buried with projects at work this fall, and had the priviledge to 
play Bob Cratchit in my local community theater production of "A Christmas 
Carol".  So time for carving and discussing has been nil.  Unfortunately, I 
have come to find out that my services and skills as a Business Analyst and 
Project Manager for web projects with MercerHR Consulting will no longer be 
required as of the end of January. So now my time will be spent in a 
desperate scramble to find work.  Those of you so inclined - please pray for 
me and my family, the rest . . . well, send positive vibes out to the 
universe.  if anyone here knows of openings for such skills either in the 
NYC area or elsewhere (willing to relocate), or have contacts that may be of 
assistance let me know.

OK - now to the topic at hand.  Regarding the machine carving thread. Seems 
to me that most of us on this list carve for the shear joy of carving and 
creating something that allows us to express ourselves artistically.  Some 
of us make money from carving as instructors.  I do not see where either of 
these groups would be interested or threatened by this type of machine.  
There are also those who carve and attempt to sell their works - craft AND 
art.   It seems to me that Bill's post about his experiences with his Dahl 
Sheep shows that the HIGH end carvings of masters will also not be 
threatened by this type of machine, nor would they likely have an interest.

Where this machine will likely impact - is the small time carver trying to 
make some extra money on the side by creating and selling "crafty" type 
carvings (and in this particular case - relief carvings since this machine 
doesn't do "in the round") where the buying public will NOT see or 
appreciate the difference in quality that hand carved items have over "well 
executed" machine carvings.  It could allow small operators to create 
commodity "carvings" that would undercut the prices of hand carvers who 
don't have a known name and thus are not yet as valued highly by collectors. 
  This will of course make it even more difficult for those who try to make 
this leap - from unknown amateur to a professional carver who wants to be 
fairly compensated for their work.

Those at the higher end like Bill, Joe Dillet, and Ivan Whillock will not 
likely be impacted. But for those who aspire to get there . . . I think it 
will depend on how well you market yourself as a unique artist and educate 
your market why your hand carvings are so much more valuable than a mass 
produced machine carving. This requires true artistic talent to create your 
own "patterns" and designs and not just carve from others designs. And THAT 
is where the true value lies - not just in the actual creation of the item.

Well, that's this "wanna be" carver's take on it anyway.

Cheers all and blessings to each in this new year!
Chuck

PS: Sorry to be so long winded.