John Leeder was on hand the Friday prior to the 2009 NSWCAA Carving Competition for a couple of woodcarving related workshops. I was able to attend his afternoon workshop on ‘Making Feet For Birds’.

This was a workshop for those that wanted to take their carving to the next level by making their own feet for bird or waterfowl carvings from scratch. Although I do not have an immediate need for such information I wanted to learn the process for future use.

John has been carving for over 25 years and is both a sculptor and an instructor. He has won over 20 ‘Best Of Show’ titles and in 2006 he had a second place finish with his miniature carving, ‘Mourning Doves’, in the World Level at the Ward Worlds championship. He was also accepted into the 1999 and 2003 juried exhibition, ‘Birds In Art’. His wildlife sculptures are displayed in several art galleries across Canada and the United States.

Prior to taking up carving full-time John worked as a bird of prey trainer and a wildlife biologist (he received an honors degree in wildlife biology from the University of Guelph).

Here is a photo of John and his sculpture titled ‘Akwesasne’, which is a Mohawk word meaning, appropriately enough, ‘land where the partridge drums’:

Continue reading 'Sitting In On A John Leeder Workshop'

This past weekend the NSWCAA’s 20th Annual Atlantic Wildlife Carving Competition And Show was held and what a competition and showing it was! There were hundreds of beautiful wildlife carvings in a wide range of styles and experience levels.

This is a competition that has been held every year since the fall of 1989 and is open to all carvers. Ribbons, trophies and prizes are awarded in Youth, Novice, Intermediate and Open classes. Judges for the competition are invited from across Canada and The United States and are master carvers and world class authorities on wildlife art.

The judge for this year’s competition was Ward World winner, John Leeder. John is a full-time sculptor and a part-time carving instructor. He has been carving for over 25 years with notable carvings such as ‘Mourning Doves’ and ‘Barnyard Gang’.

The Nova Scotia Wildlife Carvers and Artists Association (NSWCAA) was formed in 1989 and now has members throughout the Maritimes and Newfoundland. Some club members have advanced to world class artists, bringing home ribbons from the Ward World Competition in Ocean City, Maryland.

Here are a lot of photos of the competition entries:

Continue reading '2009 NSWCAA Carving Competition'

Well, my wife and I finally got around to getting the patio ready for summer. As you can likely tell by the recent posts, we have been travelling quite a bit so getting the chance to stay at home and putter around the yard is a real treat!

I came across a gang of little fellows who reside in the gardens around the house and was lucky to catch them all together having a bit of a confab:

These guys were carved 3 or 4 years ago out of either Birch or Poplar logs. There was no finish applied so they are showing wear.

After I snapped the above shot it startled them and they ran off to hide. I was able to spot them again throughout the gardens. Here’s some more photos I captured of them:

Continue reading 'Grinning Garden Gods In The Green'

My next visit was to the Museum Of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Where a previous post was focused on contemporary First Peoples woodcarvings the MOA offers insight into the past with the history of these carvings told through artifacts.

The museum was started more than fifty years ago and now houses some 535,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects, many of which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. It is Canada’s largest teaching museum and its collections, exhibitions and programs are renowned for giving access and insight into the cultures of indigenous peoples around the world.

When I arrived at the information desk I was informed that there was a tour starting immediately so I quickly joined it and took advantage of an excellent presentation by a well informed staff member. I was treated to glimpse inside the rich history of Canada’s First Peoples as told through their woodcarvings. In addition to the long term exhibits I also got a chance to view the visiting ‘Treasures of the Tsimshian from the Dundas Collection’ which included 48 pieces collected by Rev. Robert J. Dundas at Metlakatla, BC, in 1863.

Continue reading 'The Museum Of Anthropology At UBC'