Dave Osterlund recently conducted a Soap Carving class for students at a local elementary school. This reminded me of the way my father started his carving hobby. He was a tradesman who worked 16 hours a day, 6 days a week. Every morning on the seventh day, he did artwork. He was a self-taught artist, working with pastels, watercolor, oils, and linoleum-block carving/printing, but never verbally communicated any of his techniques to me.
When I was a student in eighth grade, Ivory Soap was sponsoring a Soap Carving Contest that was open to all ages. He created the First Place winner, “The Hand of God”, a tiny baby nestled in a man’s hand. The one pictured below is similar, but his was more delicate. His first wood carving was done in Mahogany, of a deer jumping over a log.
There is a common theme in most of his work, of which only a few are shown here; he marveled at Creation, in the Biblical and Natural world. He used a variety of media to express his wonderment; it was his way of communicating.
When Joanne Carroll held carving sessions for a group of 5th graders, and when any of us demonstrate our skill before an audience, we are imparting knowledge and ‘planting’ the seeds of art for other generations. Given the right environment, those ‘seeds’ will bear fruit, and the future will show the imprint of your hand. Continue to participate in shows, exhibitions, and community events; you are playing a part in positively influencing the world.
