Woodcarving workshop at Mercury School of Woodwork (August)

Explore the joy of finding the forms of beauty within a wizened piece of wood, with hand tools.Note: No under 10 year olds. You will be taught about the fundamentals of woodcarving and whittling, from the grain to the tools, and many of the forms of carving. I aim to get you to understand the grain of wood a bit better so that you might gain more insight into how trees grow, and how they experience life and stress.My tools are almost all either heirloom tools from the previous century or hand-forged ones I have made. All are meticulously maintained and sharpened.I wish to instil in you a greater reverence for wood, and a deeper respect and appreciation for the wooden articles you have in your life. You will then be lightly guided through a free-form exploration of carving, with an array of quality tools and beautiful timbers. There are forms of carving that are hard on your hands, and forms that are softer on your hands - I will have wood and tools available for a variety of styles, but be aware that this is a physically exerting workshop. This carving workshop will be in an indoor venue (a functioning woodworking workshop) and may be loud. Ear protection can be provided upon request.You must also wear shoes (sorry). Note: Carving often involves mild cut hazards, as the tools used are mostly chisels and knives.I will show you ways to use the tools so that you needn't ever get cut, but will also have some first aid equipment on site.