Established in 1967, the Santa Clara Valley Carvers (SCVC) is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting the art of woodcarving. We’re a chapter of the California Carvers Guild, a 501(c)(3) entity. Our club runs by volunteers. Our mission is to learn and share our passion for woodcarving with others. We publish our woodcarving newsletter every two months.
We meet weekly in the South Bay Area. Everyone 11 years old or older is welcome to join us. No prior carving experience is required. We learn together, mentor beginners, and have fun.
2026 Chapter Leaders and Links. Click to expand.
2026 Chapter Leaders:
President: Roman Chernikov
Vice President: Jim Phipps
Secretary: Dan Brady
Treasurer and Membership: Gary Paulson
SCVC Advisor: Dave Osterlund
CCG Advisor: Roman Chernikov
Newsletter Editor: group effort
Chapter Links:
Visit our website: https://SantaClaraValleyCarvers.org
Contact us by email: contact@santaclaravalleycarvers.org
Contribute to our woodcarving newsletter by sending your content to editors@santaclaravalleycarvers.org
Newsletter Reading Options
For the best experience, we recommend reading this newsletter directly on the website below. The online version is mobile-friendly and includes clickable photos that expand when you click or tap them.
If you prefer an offline copy to save or print, the PDF file is also available:
scvc-newsletter-2026-08.pdf
President’s Message
Our club will participate in the Santa Clara County Fair, Tri-Valley Carvers Show, Cars in the Park, and Maker Faire Bay Area in the upcoming months. Those events provide great opportunities to raise awareness of the traditional craft of woodcarving, demonstrate carving techniques, and display our carving projects to event visitors. Please support our booth at the events and visit us if you can.
We will also teach woodcarving to local scouts in September, so that they can earn their Wood Carving Merit Badges. Registration for the scouting workshop is open now; please register soon, as we only have 10 spots available.
We are planning our next group order of basswood from Heinecke for early October. As usual, the club will cover shipping costs for up to ¼ of a cubic foot per member.
Time for a tune-up? We’re putting together a group order for professional sharpening of carving tools for a few dollars per tool. We already have 20+ tools ready to go; let us know ASAP if you want in!
The club will hold business meetings on August 10 and August 13 to plan our club’s operations and choose the date for our annual picnic at Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos. Please attend and voice your suggestions and opinions on our workshops, priorities, and the future of our club.
Are you a member of the National Wood Carving Association? Find an update on NWCA’s activities later in this newsletter.
Carving tip: The Language of Color Across Cultures
When painting your carvings, remember that colors carry different meanings around the world. While white may signify purity in the West, it often represents mourning in Japan; similarly, red can signal danger to some but luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. By exploring these diverse cultural associations, you can expand your artistic vocabulary and turn your finished pieces into meaningful conversations.
I hope you will enjoy our woodcarving newsletter. Subscribe, share your photos, and follow us online.
Happy carving,
Roman Chernikov, President of Santa Clara Valley Carvers
Save the Dates
Due to a scheduling conflict, we will postpone the “Carving Halloween Ghosts” workshop, originally scheduled for August 6 & 10, to the end of August.
We are getting ready to demonstrate at the Santa Clara County Fair on August 21 and 22, from 2 pm to 6 pm. Thanks to our volunteers: Dan, Dave, David, Jane, Nitin, and Roman. Find us at the event.
Several SCVC members will participate in the Tri-Valley Carvers Show on September 12 & 13 in Pleasanton. Whether you just joined the club or carved for years, consider submitting your carvings to display at the show. Submit the show participation form, or read our article about the 2025 TVC show.
We are also looking for volunteers to demonstrate woodcarving at Cars in the Park in History Park, San Jose. Please read about last year’s event and help us staff the booth on September 12, 2026. Only David has volunteered so far.
Upcoming Events
End of August, 2026: SCVC Workshop: a group project to carve ghost ornaments for Halloween during regular meeting hours in San Jose and Los Gatos.
August 21-22, 2026: Woodcarving at the Santa Clara County Fair in Santa Clara, CA. Our club will demonstrate carving between 2 pm and 6 pm on Friday and Saturday.
September 10 & 17, 2026: Wood Carving Merit Badge for Scouts. Intro to woodcarving for Scouts to earn Wood Carving Merit Badges—limited spots. Please register.
September 12-13, 2026: Tri-Valley Carvers Woodcarving Show in Pleasanton, CA, is the biggest annual woodcarving show in Northern California. Free to attend.
September 12, 2026: Woodcarving at Cars in the Park. The event is the largest annual antique & classic auto show in the West. Held at the History Park in San Jose.
September 19-20, 2026: The annual Woodcarvers show in Cambria, CA, an amazingly well-organized event by Central Coast Woodcarvers, CCG Chapter 7.
September 25-27, 2026: Carving demo at Maker Faire Bay Area by three local clubs: Tri-Valley Carvers, Sonoma County Woodcarvers, and Santa Clara Valley Carvers.
Beginning of October 2026: Annual woodcarving picnic and potluck at Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos with tables full of carvings. Free event. Read about our picnic in 2025.
Find a full list of scheduled events and workshops online: https://santaclaravalleycarvers.org/calendar/
Membership
SCVC membership costs $6 per year. However, an additional annual fee of $45 is required for those 55 and older who wish to attend the Monday meetings at the Adult Recreation Center in Los Gatos. The center membership allows you to use the facility and enjoy all its classes.
California Carving Guild annual dues are $25. CCG membership is optional but recommended, as CCG supports our club and carvers in California. CCG also provides liability insurance for its members at the club meetings, workshops, and public events at no additional cost.
If you want to be involved in our woodcarving community, even if you are remote, you can join our club online by filling in the New Membership Application form and paying the dues online.
Woodcarving Display: Turning a Mishap into an Upgrade
As noted in the June newsletter, our previous display table (pictured on the left) suffered damage when a visitor dropped a metal water bottle, shattering the glass case. Fortunately, no injuries occurred, and all carvings remained unharmed.
Collaborating with the management of the Adult Recreation Center in Los Gatos, we explored ideas and finalized a safer design to protect future woodcarving display arrangements. We appreciate the Center for providing a prominent lobby location for displaying our carving projects.
Special thanks to club secretary Dan Brady, who constructed both the initial prototype from scrap wood and the refined final shelves.
To help members plan their contributions, we are listing dimensions of the new shelves: The display is 24 ½ inches wide and 16 ⅞” tall. The middle shelf is 6” deep and 8 ¾” high from the base. The top shelf is 5 ¼” deep, and the space between the middle and top shelves is 6.5”.
Display, Arrangement Theme: Little Carvings, July 2026
Current features include fairy doors, a Dala horse, a butter knife, a Celtic strop, a serving board, and puzzles below. Contributors include Connie Wilson, Dan Brady, Darryl Easter, David Osterlund, Joanne Carroll, Roman Chernikov, and others.
Our display now includes a custom-made reference ruler, so viewers can easily determine the scale and dimensions of each carving.
Next Theme: Lake View
In September, we will rearrange the display to feature fish on the bottom shelf, birds and boats above, and some other animals on the “Lake” shore.
Interested in seeing your work on display? Join our club, check the dimensions above, and start planning a “Lake View” piece for our September rotation!
Our Recent Activities and Publications
Review a new woodcarving gallery on our website: Jerry Gin’s Wildlife Sculptures.
From detailed wildlife portraits to bold abstract expressions, Jerry Gin’s woodcarvings demonstrate a remarkable range of striking sculptures that honor both natural form and creative imagination. Jerry joined our club in 2002 and served as club president and exhibition chairman for many years. Review Jerry’s woodcarvings spanning nearly two decades of his work.
SCVC Woodcarving Library Update: 360+ books
Use this link to see 19 new books added to our club’s library since the last update. Borrowing a book is easy: browse or search the online catalog, click the Reserve button, and pick up your title at the next in-person meeting.
Our library has a large collection of Chip Chats magazines, but the collection is not complete. If you have extra issues you’d like to donate, we would appreciate your gift. See the list of missing issues.
We also received a sizable collection of Woodcarving Illustrated and American Woodturner magazines (thanks to Jerry Gin). Do you think we should add them to our library? Please let us know by adjusting the check boxes:
Our Tool Recommendations for Beginner Carvers
We expanded our list of recommended tools as part of our participation in the Amazon Affiliate Program. We added hook knives, thumb guards, and a large ceramic sharpening stone. Check out our curated list of recommended woodcarving tools: SCVC Woodcarving Shopping List.
Woodcarvings Spotted
If you ever visited our carving meeting on Monday, you might have spotted these gorgeous carved sculptures on East Main Street in Los Gatos, CA. Those chainsaw carvings of a mountain lion, a bear, and an eagle are nicely done, and they certainly add character to The Club at Los Gatos.
Visit us on Thursday evenings
Visit us at the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Scouting America.
Drop in on Thursdays from 7 to 9 pm at:
1900 The Alameda #100,
San Jose, CA 95126
We welcome anyone aged 11 or older. We always set aside time to mentor beginners, to present a carving topic, or to demo a new carving technique. Our membership fee starts at only $6 per year.
Visit us on Monday mornings
We carve together at the Adult Recreation Center in Los Gatos. Room 206, 2nd floor.
Drop in on Mondays from 10 am to 2 pm at:
208 E Main St.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Age requirement: 55+ years old. The Adult Recreation Center membership costs $45 per year.
A Warm Welcome to Our New Members!
We are delighted to welcome new members into our club. It is always a pleasure to share their stories and see the inspiration behind their first projects as they begin their carving journey with us.
Udaya Rangaswamy
Udaya joined us in June 2026 after recently retiring. He used to sketch years ago, and now he has found time for another creative outlet – woodcarving.
Like all newly joined members, he received a club-sponsored cut-resistant glove and a block of wood (basswood), and, with some mentorship, began carving a wooden pumpkin.
Dite
Dite joined us in June 2026. She likes crafting, and she wanted to explore woodcarving to make more durable pieces than cardboard ones.
Ambika Palleti
Ambika is a student who joined the club in July. She is eager to learn how to carve decorative items and ornaments. Unlike many of our newcomers, Ambika began her journey not with a wooden pumpkin, but carving a bell pepper, and we can already see her making great progress!
Omar Soltan & Tameem Zaidat
Omar and Tameem are two friends spending their summer here in San Jose. While exploring the Bay Area, they decided to take up woodcarving and are interested in learning how to whittle small animals. It’s a pleasure to have you both with us for the season!
Sally Barlow-Perez & Padmaja Nandigam
We are also excited to welcome Sally and Padmaja! After visiting our club to admire the carvings on display and chatting with several of our members, they decided to join us. They are looking forward to carving functional pieces such as walking sticks, spoon holders, and coasters.
Welcome aboard! We hope you will enjoy your woodcarving journey!
Oakhurst Woodcarvers Rendezvous, April 2026
The Oakhurst Woodcarvers Rendezvous is certainly California’s largest annual woodcarving event. Organized by the Central Sierra Woodcarvers Club with support from the California Carvers Guild and numerous sponsors, this week-long gathering brought together incredible talent. Let’s highlight a few carvers who attended this year:
Jerry Schneider – A Whittling Wizard
Jerry taught a whittling class featuring a wide range of impressive projects, including wooden chains, puzzles, and balls-in-cages. A dedicated craftsman, he even wears a carved chain on his hat.
He also highlighted the value of carving snakes for beginners because of their curves; they are ideal projects for those learning how to carve with the grain. We can see that Jerry fed the snakes well 😊
Vic Hood – a Bust Carving Specialist
Vic was a featured carver at Oakhurst again this year, teaching a week-long bust-carving class. Learn more about his woodcarving style by checking out Vic Hood’s books (autographed!) from our library.
Jeff Wardwell – Master Power Carver
A member of the Central Sierra Woodcarvers, Jeff recently taught a popular power carving class on carving a moose bust using rotary tools. He emphasized the importance of grain direction to avoid fragility, demonstrating this by carving a moose head with separately crafted, attached antlers.
Wally Imfeld – an Automata Tinkerer
Wally is known for his cute automata projects, which use levers and cranks to bring wooden figures to life. While taking Wally’s popular automata class, Phil Okada shared some handy workshop hacks, such as creating a DIY strop with leather and a paint stir stick. Phil also showed his beautifully carved knife-blade covers.
Ken Morgan – a Relief Virtuoso
Ken from the Tri-Valley Carvers club taught a relief carving class this year. As you can see in the photo, Ken kept his students focused and inspired with great demonstrations. He came well-prepared with thick basswood and several project choices for all skill levels. His students were very happy with the class and appreciated the care he put into both the materials and the teaching.
Tom Checketts – a Wood Sorcerer
Based in Utah, Tom is a skilled carver and a premier wood supplier for events throughout the West. He provides carvers with access to high-quality basswood, butternut, jelutong, catalpa, tupelo, and cedar. Tom brought impressive stacks of premium lumber to Oakhurst in 2026. Check out Tom’s Instagram @tomcheckettslumber.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t feature all the notable carvers in this newsletter, but we plan to highlight more of their work in future issues!
History Corner
A chip-carved sign and flyers from our shows in the 2000s. While unsigned, we believe it is the work of Giles Gunn, a SCVC member and talented chip carver who passed away in 2015.
The Leaping Lynx Workshop by Debbe Edwards, 2011
A leaping lynx carving class taught by wildlife carver Debbe Edwards in 2011 in Sunnyvale, CA.
Back row, from left to right: Jerry Gin, Kathy Moore, Christine Stafford, Fred Hanson, Theda Mobley, Tom Hamamciyan, Barbara Scoles, Jack Maroney, and Don Ruble. Front row, from left to right: Carma Giles, Debbe Edwards, Joanne Carroll, Lois Vannier, and Sharon Terrel.
This photo was also featured in the Chip Chats magazine, issue January-February 2012, page 39.
SCVC Annual Woodcarving Picnics
Our woodcarving picnic is a family-friendly tradition featuring potluck food and carving displays.
This photo captures our 2017 group at Calero Reservoir in San Jose. That year’s highlight was a whittling contest where members competed to carve a ball from a basswood cube; we congratulate Kathy Moore, who took home the win!
Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited to host this year’s picnic in October at Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos (see our 2025 picnic). We will confirm the date shortly, and please share your preferred dates with us.
Woodturning
Most beginners start their carving journey with basswood, but many eventually wish to explore hardwoods like cherry, walnut, or exotic species for their rich color and grain.
As carvers quickly discover, these materials are significantly denser and often require specialized tools.
Woodturning offers an excellent way to work with these harder woods. For those seeking a further challenge, combining turning with carving can produce impressive results, such as the intricate wooden spirals.
Dottie Bang
A member of our club since 2008, Dottie brings vast experience to her craft and frequently blends turning with carving. She is particularly well-known for her spiral hollow forms, which vary in size and are often made from walnut. Dottie presented this large spiral at a local woodturning club in June.
Dennis Lillis
Dennis is a professional woodturner with decades of experience. He teaches at local turning clubs and creates a wide range of pieces, from large salad bowls to tiny ornaments like the spiral Christmas tree shown below. His work can be found in local galleries (e.g., Highlight Gallery) or on his Facebook page.
Local Resources
To learn more, visit West Bay Woodturners and Silicon Valley Woodturners. Attend monthly meetings to view woodturning demonstrations, talk to experienced turners, and see their latest projects. Also, explore woodturning classes at the Palo Alto Adult School; the turning teachers are excellent there.
What’s on the Workbench?
It’s always inspiring to see the diversity of projects at our meetings, from first-time successes to new techniques. Here is a glimpse at what some of our members have been working on recently:
Bill Peekema
Congratulations to Bill! After joining us in May, he has successfully carved his first project — a wooden pumpkin. Bill showed great skill by shaping the pumpkin perfectly round and carving deep grooves and a curved stem with precision.
Moving forward, Bill has started on a nested cube using a blank he picked up at a local carving show years ago; it’s great to see that he has already released the innermost cube.
Connie Wilson
Connie is currently bringing some whimsy to her workbench by carving a light bulb with a happy face, a design she saw online. She is also practicing V-cuts on several charming daisy flowers to get more comfortable using longer gouges.
David Osterlund
David enjoys carving figures such as Santas, Vikings, and gnomes; his latest project is a Fisherman pattern from the Spring 2026 issue (#114) of Woodcarving Illustrated. When he isn’t working on people, he also crafts spoons and butter spreaders.
Be sure to check out the photo of the two Vikings he carved years ago; they have recently been featured in our club’s official woodcarving flyer!
Terry Davis
Terry captures a moment of anticipation as she transitions from planning to practice. Holding her pattern alongside the wood with the transferred design, Terry is ready to bring her latest project to life.
Dan Brady
As our club secretary and a dedicated organizer, Dan is an incredibly active contributor, as evidenced most recently by the new display shelves he built for our Los Gatos meeting space.
Between building woodworking/woodturning projects in his shop and supporting the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Scouting America, Dan uses his time with us to carve thoughtful, handmade gifts for his family.
David Clarke
David is exploring a new carving project almost every week. As shown in the photo, he is currently making steady progress on a charming little rabbit, following Doug Linker’s video.
David’s Carving Tip
For those looking to expand their skills, David recommends Doug Linker’s YouTube channel as an excellent resource for simple, educational tutorials on carving animals.
Jonathan Jackel
Jonathan joined our club recently and is learning carving quite fast. Using Doug Linker’s “How to Carve a Bear” tutorial, he successfully carved these two charming little bears.
Debbie Mize
With significant experience and specialized training from the California Carvers Guild, Debbie serves as a Chief Woodcarving Judge for Northern California. A regular at our Thursday meetings, she will also be judging at the upcoming Tri-Valley Carvers Show on September 12 and 13.
She is currently working on two square chip-carved coasters that are still connected as a single piece; she will separate them once the carving is complete.
Gary Paulson
Gary is highly skilled in silver wire inlay, which consists of embedding a silver ribbon into wood. He uses just a few tools to create intricate designs with high precision. The photo shows a walnut wood sample that beautifully demonstrates the final result of this technique.
Jim Phipps
Jim is our Vice President, and he is gearing up for the Tri-Valley Carvers Woodcarving Show in Pleasanton this September, where he and several other SCVC members will exhibit their work.
Jim’s Carving Tip:
For transporting carving tools, use one of the reinforced crates from surplus supply stores, as they are remarkably sturdy and available in a variety of sizes.
Nitin Varshney
An experienced Scout Leader, Nitin previously taught basic whittling skills to Cub Scouts. He now partners with Dan and Mike to train local scouts in woodcarving, guiding them as they work toward earning their woodcarving merit badges. You can see a photo of Nitin leading one of last year’s Scout training sessions on our website.
On his own workbench, Nitin is currently carving a lovely ornament featuring a heart and flower linked by a decorative center piece.
Mike Campi
Mike serves as one of our Scout Leaders, and he is currently busy with Dan and Nitin planning the September Scouting workshop (see our calendar) to help local scouts earn their woodcarving merit badges.
We can see on his workbench that Mike is working on a classic whittling project: a carved boot.
Dee
A dedicated Scout Leader, Dee is passionate about introducing local scouts to new skills and constantly searches for fun, small craft projects they’ll enjoy. Since joining us last year to further her own woodcarving journey, she continues to carve a variety of small items with the group whenever she can find a moment.
Pranay Agrawal
Pranay likes crafting functional items from hardwoods such as walnut, cherry, and maple, and prefers freshly cut wood because it’s easier to carve. A standout example of his work is this custom-made walnut spatula; it features a stunning natural grain pattern and has been ergonomically tailored for right-handed use.
Dana Chick
Dana joins us on Thursdays to focus on his sewing and tailoring projects. He specializes in garment customization and repair, often mending jackets or adding custom patches and functional pockets. While he doesn’t practice woodcarving himself, he provides a fresh perspective to the group; upon request, his feedback on our carving projects is always thoughtful and insightful.
Jordan Makower
On his workbench, Jordan is working on a new linoleum block project. His linocut work allows him to translate complex imagery into striking prints. You can explore several of Jordan’s completed projects and see his step-by-step process in the later section of this newsletter.
Roman Chernikov
✏️Remember those pencil name badges from the June newsletter? Roman is back with another clever project!
Roman developed a new name badge pattern generator on READ N TRY that lets you create custom ruler-shaped name tags and even full-scale rulers. These aren’t just for show; they support custom branding and both metric and imperial scales.
He used a laser engraver to create the pieces shown here, including a specialized reference ruler for the Santa Clara Valley Carvers display case, finishing them all by hand in his workshop.
Check out Roman’s website if you’re looking to add some precision (and personalization) to your next name tag!
News from the National Wood Carvers Association
We encourage our members to connect with the National Wood Carvers Association (NWCA) to stay informed about national woodcarving programs and activities. The NWCA offers extensive support to woodcarvers and carving clubs via their website and Chip Chats magazine. If you want to share photos of your carvings, original patterns, carving tips, or personal stories, consider submitting them for publication in Chip Chats magazine to help inspire carvers nationwide.
A highlight of NWCA’s current initiatives is the Annual Ornament Share and Care Campaign. This wonderful project brings joy to caring facilities through handcrafted ornaments. If you want to donate your carving to the campaign, find the submission details using the link above; the entry deadline is November 1, 2026.
Jordan Makower’s Linoleum Block Prints
In this woodcarving newsletter section, Jordan shares photos of his latest linocut block prints. These scenes are based on Jordan’s memory. Review sketches, linoleum blocks, and final prints.
Pelican at Pebble Beach
Inspired by a wooden pelican at Stearns Wharf and a photo from his son David, Jordan Makower created this beautiful 3” x 4” linoleum block print. We’ve included a series of images showing the project stages, from the pencil sketch and outline to the final carved block and completed print. It is a fantastic demonstration of precision and patience in the art of linocut printing.
The Geologist
In this 4”x5” project, Jordan draws on his lifelong passion for geology and recent conversations with his grandson, Zach. The piece captures the essence of fieldwork from the iconic broad-brimmed hat to the use of a magnifying lens for examining rock crystals. Jordan notes that carving faces in linoleum is particularly challenging because it’s hard to achieve smooth skin textures without the precision of steel engraving. The photos show the project transition from initial sketch to final print. Jordan also notes that even after decades of linoleum carving, every new project remains an opportunity to learn.
Amherst Grist Mill (‘restored’ pre-1909)
In this series, Jordan captures the historic Amherst Grist Mill in South Amherst, MA. Drawing on memories from a visit in the 1960s, Jordan faced the unique challenge of reconstructing the mill’s now-lost water wheel and perspective through detailed sketching and research. The photos show the evolution of the project from the initial pencil sketch and preliminary outline to the fully carved block and final brown monochromatic print.
Lunch?
Titled “Lunch?”, this playful project is inspired by real-life observations at David and Val’s house. The scene depicts a squirrel that frequently visits for peanuts, the particular interest of one of the house cats, who clearly has a very different kind of “lunch” in mind. This 3”x4” piece captures the humorous tension between predator and prey, with the accompanying images showing the progress from the initial sketch and outline to the carved block and final brown monochromatic print.
Review more of Jordan’s work at his gallery.
Time for a Guessing Game!
Have you carved a flower before, or which one do you want to carve? Also, can you identify every flower variety in this beautiful flower arrangement? Let us know if you can spot them all!
Our Blooming Support
A huge thank you to Maureen Johnston, an avid supporter of our club. Though she doesn’t carve, she regularly shares the beauty of her garden with us by bringing fresh flowers to our meetings. Your thoughtful gifts bring so much joy and color to our carving space. Thank you, Maureen!
Find Us on Social Media
Thank you for supporting our club by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
The End Grain of our Woodcarving Newsletter
We hope you enjoyed this edition of our woodcarving newsletter. If you liked it, please spread the word and share the link with other carvers and turners, or subscribe to our woodcarving newsletter (we publish every two months). You can also support us by joining our club as a remote member.
Happy carving! Let us know what you think about our newsletter in the comments ⬇️
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