Gold Medalist Portfolios

My father fostered an interest in woodworking; he noted that his grandfather had developed those skills as “carriage-trimmer” in the late 1800’s. My dad and I built a small wood sailboat when I was in middle school, and I started making skateboards. Over time my projects expanded to include small furniture (baby cradles, quilt racks and plant stands); I began carving shore birds and abstract sculptures. After retirement, I started making wood model boats and wooden spoons. Spoon making prompted an interest in carving knives which led to my first class at Vesterheim’s Folk School. Both the technical and teaching skills of instructors with a Norwegian background were remarkable. My own Scandinavian heritage likely came through my Scottish and Irish ancestors. I have grown to appreciate the form and function of the Norwegian brukskniv (work/utility) and Swedish slöyd (craft) knives. A succession of classes followed including blade forging, kolrosing/svidekor and additional knife making courses. Video feedback from judges as part of the biannual Folk Art Exhibition continues to sharpen my skills. Besides making knives, spoon carving has grown to involve over 70 different designs. They include historic and contemporary Scandinavian forms as well as functional spoons with zoomorphic (animal-shaped) themes such as whales, fish, insects and weasels.