A View from the Galleries – CARVING THE AUSTRIAN BY NORMAN JACKSON

As I have run out of members current work, I thought that I would bring some of the work hidden in the back of the galleries out for an airing, and have chosen a carving Norman Jackson made on a carving holiday in Austria. Norman attended a week long course at the Geisler- Moroder Schnitzschule in Elbigenalp in the midst of the Lechtaler and Allgäu mountains in Austria see http://www.schnitzschule.com. It sounds as if he had a great time and he thoroughly recommends it.

The school provided him with 16 chisels and gouges of various types but he only used 5 or 6 of them. The course started with a some warm up exercises; a flower and a pair of lips, both in low relief and carved in Zirberkiefer – Swiss Mountain Pine, a very pleasing wood to work.

Before starting work on the main carving, Norman was advised that he would need to attend a life drawing class. As the school had 9/10 very beautiful ladies and none were over 31, Norman was very disappointed to be presented with a block of wood and a yogurt carton as the subject. Life Drawing seems to have been a translation of Still Life Drawing.

After making a maquette, Norman started on the main carving of an Austrian man. The pictures below show his progress. Some long days of hard work, sweat and tears produced a very satisfactory result.

Norman says a special thank you to Karen and Michael, and that he came home POWFECKED and very happy.