Tri-Valley Carvers Woodcarving Show, 2025

One highlight of the show was the hand-carved carousel, a small cart bearing dozens of miniature animal figures. A concealed motor in the base spins the carousel while a built-in speaker plays music, adding kinetic interest to the static displays.

A temporary “country store” offered wood of several species in assorted dimensions, as well as carving books, hand tools, and supplies. Visitors could purchase material for future projects or browse the selection.

A set of soap-carving tables allowed visitors, especially children, to experiment with basic carving techniques using plain soap bars and wooden tools, providing a mess-free and completely safe way for the youngest attendees to experience the feel of a tool in their hands without any risk of injury.

Joanne Carroll has been carving for decades and is an expert in both carving and pyrography. At the show, she displayed a wide variety of work, including relief pieces, playful caricatures, detailed spoons, and colorful ornaments. Joanne also enjoys quilting, but her skills in woodcarving and pyrography are what she’s best known for among woodcarvers.

Rob Motal carves neckerchief slides, pins, and tiny ornaments, then paints them to add a burst of color to his table. Though the pieces are simple enough for beginners, they’re surprisingly inspiring, showing that almost anything can be transformed into a woodcarving, from pan-frying eggs to swimming gear.

Rob regularly publishes articles in the Chip Chats magazine.

Although Ngam Worley began woodcarving only a few years ago, she has already carved an impressive range of projects, from tiny boots to large floral panels to display at the show.

Congratulations to Ngam for taking home the People’s Choice Award!

Ron Richards joined the SCVC woodcarving club in 1982 and has spent decades carving faces and caricatures. After a recent hiatus, he returned for this show, rejoined the club, and we’re excited to start carving with Ron weekly again!

Gerry Jensen’s table overflows with bright Halloween and Christmas ornaments that she paints in vivid colors. She and her husband, Rick Jensen, work as a team. Rick cuts each piece from wood, and Gerry adds the masterful paintwork. With so many cute, colorful creations, choosing a favorite was nearly impossible.

Ed Heskett is an expert in chip carving, producing plates, coasters, decorative panels, boxes, and other items of exceptional quality. He sharpens his skill every day and constantly experiments with new designs and patterns, yielding consistently stunning results.

Morgan Heskett crafts stringed musical instruments and delighted the audience by playing one of his creations at the TVC Woodcarving Show.

Richard Riley carved dozens of charming birdhouses. He designed a variety of roof, wall, and foundation patterns. By combining these elements with various paint techniques, he can make an endless array of unique pieces.

At his table, seasoned whittler Jim Phipps is surrounded by dozens of intricately carved pieces. Alongside classic whittling projects, he adds quirky twists, like carving a comfort bird with shark teeth, a duck with a goofy grin, a tiny toaster, and even a carved thumb, demonstrating how his skill seamlessly blends traditional carving with playful imagination.

Roman Chernikov demonstrated chip carving on his practice board, showing how a tiny knife can create precise, geometric patterns. He also shared stories about woodcarving and his own projects, sparking new interest among the show’s visitors. See more of his work at READ N TRY.

Don Bott has spent years crafting extraordinarily intricate spoons, and he displayed several on the Tri‑Valley Carvers club table to show that even a familiar object can become art. Although he has taken a break from carving lately, we hope he returns to the carving bench soon and continues to inspire new generations with his remarkable skill.

Tim Geiger added an intricately carved “ball‑in‑the‑cage” piece to the club table while volunteering at the country store both days of the event. More than a whittler, Tim is a highly skilled carver and painter; his lifelike, painted fish have repeatedly taken top honors at the show over the years.

Green fish carved by Joanne Carroll from Cottonwood.

Title: Betty Davis Eyes.

Notes: I really wanted to try my hand at carving a caricature. Talked to caricature carvers for ideas on how to enhance and voila.

The “Where are my Guns” was carved from basswood by Joanne Carrol, started in a class with Dave Stetson in 1998, placed on a shelf for a long time, and finished in September 2025.

The photo shows Scot Lang’s modest wooden spoon, plain and functional in shape, but elevated by a single oak leaf carved into its wide handle and brushed with a warm, reddish‑yellow autumn hue. The leaf adds a decorative flourish without hindering the spoon’s everyday use, proving that even the simplest carving can be both elegant and practical.

Dave Boles performed live woodturning demonstrations on both days, showing the whole process from rough blank to finished vessel. Spectators could watch the lathe in action and ask questions about technique.