In 1986 when I was 14 years old I was doing a bowl in woodworking class at school, when my teacher complemented me on my talents. He did this because I was doing a lot of different things and was requesting harder and harder things to do. I have a lot of things still from this time in my garage.
My teacher then told me about woodcarving with special irons and he showed some books about it. He did not have the tools at school and could not teach me himself how to do it, but he knew where I could go to get lessons. This involved going downtown twice a week, for night classes at a tradecraft preservation society. I did enroll in those classes and was there for many or until 1989. I was by far the youngest student there because this was an old art and mostly the elderly had interest in that skill.
I learned a lot in those days about carving methods, about wood types and wood grain. I also learned about sharpening the irons. I learned about woodworking old Norse motifs as well and gothic and baroque motifs. And of course I learned most by doing and listening to my instructor. He was a man called Matti, a man in his late sixties at that time and he was a man of good temper and a kind disposition. The other pupils were older than he most of the time and they were very kind to, probably grateful that a youth was taking interest in this great old artform and would keep it alive longer in the process.
I have quite a few things that I made at home, but many I gave away as gifts to loved ones also. I am doing a bit of carving these days again, but my writing is getting a bit more priority these past months. I will continue though.
