Carving in the Rockies 2026
- instructors and class descriptions
Below you can find more information about this year's classes, instructors, class fees and any tools you may need.
Chip Carved Clock - Al Vigil
TWO DAY CLASS : We will be carving a chip carved clock. In the photographs, I have included two different patterns you can choose for your clock. If you have a chip carving pattern you would like to use, feel free to bring your pattern to the class. ***Special note - if you bring a pattern, it must have been copied on a laser printer (available at all copy centers).
Material Fee: $20
Provided Materials: Wood blank (9”x 9”), choice of pattern, and transfer tool to transfer the pattern to the wood.
Tools Required: A sharp chip carving knife, a carving glove, a transfer tool if you have one, and a gouge to dig out the wood in the back of the clock to install the clock works.
Brook Trout - Jan Skuderna
You may have time to carve more than one fish. Finishing (painting) will be on your own.
Material Fee: $2
Provided Materials: Blanks available for 4” and 5” fish.
Tools Required: A knife and a V tool.
Folk Art Candlestick
- Rob Summers
We will carve one candle and base from your choice of two different base designs. We will attach the candle to the base for you to finish at home. Extra blanks will be available for purchase.
Material Fee: None - $15
Provided Materials: 11/8” x 8” candle blank, base blank, and fastener and tools for assembly.
Tools Required: Safety glove, sharp knife, and if possible, a #3 3/8” or ½” gouge and a #9 1/8” gouge if you have one.
Outhouse in Bark - Polly White
The basic outer shape of the outhouse and the base will be cut out. The outhouse is cut in two pieces and glued back together with a tacky glue so that the frame may be shaped and the door cut out. Then the two pieces are separated to carve in the “privy” hole / bench seat. When complete, the two pieces are glued back together with super glue.
Material Fee: $15
Provided Materials: Bark and glue.
Tools Required: Bench knife, gouges, V tool, and safety glove.
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Using Roughouts and Cutouts
- Dave Tjarks
This is for someone who would like to begin using roughouts and cutouts. We’ll be exploring how to tackle a roughout and cutout of the same design and begin to discuss how to ‘think inside the roughout’ and make it your own. Please note – we may not finish both the cutout and roughout. We’re hoping to make good progress and leave the finishing details to the individual.
Material Fee: $15
Provided Materials: 1 Roughout and 1 Cutout provided. per student
Tools Required: Typical carving tools, knives, gouges, a V tool would be helpful, pencil or thin Sharpie for markups. Safety glove
Bird on a Perch - Polly White
Carve and paint a bird and make a swinging perch for it to sit on. Bird can be realistic or a figment of your imagination.
Bird: The basic shape of the bird will be cut out in basswood. The head, beak, and tail will need to be shaped and edges rounded. Sandpaper may be used to smooth the surface if you don’t want original knife cuts to show. Holes will be drilled in the bird’s lower belly to insert wire feet.
Material Fee: $10
Provided Materials: Basswood cutout, twigs and wire, wire cutters and needle-nose pliers, sanding mesh, patterns/instructions, paints and brushes.
Tools Required: Knife, safety glove, and paints and brushes (if you have favorites).
Watercolor on Wood
- Carla Thorpe
Play with watercolor on wood. We will make a simple color wheel and learn to control water, paint on wood, and how to wash away mistakes.
Material Fee: $10
Provided Materials: Paint, paintbrush, and pallet.
Tools Required: A carving you couldn’t care less about, or one you are ready to paint, fine point Sharpie, ruler, pencil, and 1 scrap piece of basswood about 3” x 6”.
The Hen Relief Carving
- Joseph Sikora
Material Fee: $8
Shallow relief carving of a hen in basswood.
Provided Materials: Basswood blank with tranferred pattern.
Tools Required: Bench knife, detail knife, #5 or #6 - 5 mm gouge, and #4 or #5 - 10 mm gouge.
Scrimshaw Across All Skill Levels
- Amy Eha
Learn the history of a unique American art form and/or have a brief refresher on scrimshaw techniques. Then you will create a traditional seafaring scene or design of your choice on several available mediums according to your skill level. Material fee varies with choice of project.
Beginners to Intermediate -
Cue Ball Slab Display Piece- Etch a traditional design on a cue ball slab using traditional scratch and ink style of scrimshaw.
Bookmark- Create two individual bookmarks from recycled piano keys. You will learn the stipple technique.
Advanced and adventuresome –
A pendent necklace from 30,000-year-old-mammoth ivory. For an additional $5 fee, you can also choose to design the handle on a knife or an imitation whale tooth.
Material Fee: $20
Provided Materials: Lights and magnifying glasses. *** If you have Opti-Vision or other preferred magnification devices you are comfortable with, please bring them.
Tools Required: Pencil and notebook, 1 double-ended reversible pin vise - one end with zero minimum capacity (available to buy at class for $6), and an old towel to pad your arm and work (they will get ink on them).
Aspen Feather - Brian McKay
Southwest relief carving on an aspen feather cutout
Material Fee: $5
Provided Materials: Cutout, choice of 5 patterns, accessories if needed, different stains.
Tools Required: Basic relief carving tools, #3 gouge, and small V tool.
Relief Character Carving
- Bob Zettler
TWO DAY: Project will be a shallow, mid, and deep relief carving. A 9” x 12” x 1” piece of basswood will be routed two levels with deep relief image transferred. We will begin by drawing an image in the background and creating a very shallow relief image. Then, we’ll proceed to the second level by drawing-in from the furnished pattern and then carving in a somewhat deeper and a bit more detailed relief. This will be followed by carving the third level in more of a deep relief of the transferred image, then undercutting and some wood burning. Time permitting, I will give a talk on my oil color finishing.
Material Fee: $45
Provided Materials: Basswood panel and copy of full pattern, and wood burner for class use.
Tools Required: Intermediate and small gouges, sharp knife, and glove. If you have a bench hook for relief carving it will be helpful. If you have a wood burner, please bring it, but not required.
3 Face Projects - Steve Gurnett
TWO DAY CLASS: Join me for two days in carving your choice of: Pirate bottle stopper, Face Study Stick, or Shelf Gnome. Pick one project to hone your face carving skills.
Material Fee: $5
Provided Materials: Pirate head roughout and bottle stopper, or study stick wood, or shelf gnome roughout.
Tools Required: Detail knife, V tools, ½” #7 gouge or similar, and dockyard tools.
Fun with Flowers
- Tony Montoya
Have fun learning to relief carve floral appliques from basswood roughouts. Choose from different roughouts in various complexities from experienced novice to advanced, and follow along with the demo to learn and apply the six basic steps to relief carving. Students will sand (if desired), apply final finish coats, or paint on their own outside of class. Experienced novice to advanced. Students should have experience safely carving with gouges and V tools.
Material Fee: $20-$30
Provided Materials: Relief carving basswood roughouts in various complexities to choose from. Additional roughouts will be available to purchase.
Tools Required: A variety of sharpened carving gouges with 12 mm #5, 12 or 14 mm #7, 6 mm #7 fishtail gouges, 8 mm #12 V tool, a detail carving knife, a bench hook, cut resistant glove, and a pencil.
Cabin Relief in Bark - Andy Mayer
TWO DAYS: Learn to relief carve a cabin scene in bark using the natural bark to frame the carved area. Students can choose to carve the cabin straight on, or for more of a challenge, they can carve it at an angle to create more depth.
Material Fee: $5-$10
Provided Materials: Assorted sizes of cottonwood bark.
Tools Required: Carving glove, knife, 1/8” and ¼” #1 chisels, 5/8” #3, ½” #5, 5/16” shallow #7 U-gouges, 3/16” V tool, and needle files.
Fishes on Fire - Gerry Canavan
Students will choose a hemlock blank and have a choice of hardware items to complete the fish design. After carving and sanding, (gasp!), we will torch and wire brush the carving to emphasize the grain. The fish will then be reassembled using epoxy if necessary. Finishing tips, especially related to markers and metallic acrylics, will be discussed.
Material Fee: $10
Provided Materials: Hemlock blank, hardware, fire source and wire brush. Some extra tools will be available.
Tools Required: #1, #2, and #3 gouges or flat skews ¾” wide, a medium V tool, and a knife (the longer the blade, the better, and curved, upswept blades work the best). A draw knife is 100% optional (I have one we can play with).
Maple Leaf Carved Candy Dish
- Al Vigil
We will be carving a candy dish in the shape of a maple leaf.
Material Fee: $12
Provided Materials: Wood block.
Tools Required: A sharp knife, carving glove, and a gouge (for hollowing out the inside of the bowl).
