Interested in ABRANET -the newest thing in sanding wood?? Click here for details

Hi- I'm Jim O'Dea - welcome to my web site where I highlight the

Southwest Florida Woodcarving
Clubs, Shows and Classes


Jim O'Dea's wood carvings - I have been chided for not having any of my carvings pictured on this web site so have added this new page.

2012 Season Woodcarving Shows of interest to woodcarver's in the south Florida region click here

Clubs in Southwest Florida

For a list of clubs in all Florida

Woodcarving seminars scheduled in the Englewood/Charlotte County area in the 2012 season:

  • Chau Pham - 5 day Cardinal Class- starts 6 Feb 2012 and is held in Rotonda, FL. Chau provides the Tupelo blank for the Cardinal plus the eyes, legs, the Jo-Sonya paint and a pattern and feather pattern handout. The students needs to supply rotary tools for roughing out and detailing (1/8 shaft bits will do for rough out), a burner for feather burning or you can stone instead of burn, a dust mask and a fan box, paint bushes. Chau is a Judge at the Ft Myers show as well as displays there so you can see the Cardinal and his other birds there.

    Chau judging at a show - click for larger view.

    Chau Pham, from Winter Park, FL, while working full time as a subcontractor in Orlando still has time to devote to woodcarvers through his participation as a judge for many shows in different states as well as a competitor at the The Ward World championships. Recently, his carving of a Barn Owl won the People's Choice Award at the 2009 Ward World Championship and Best in Show at the Winter National Wood Art Exposition. Chau received a degree of Fine Arts in Saigon in 1976, as well as attending the Atlanta College of Art, on scholarships. At the age of 11, he attended the largest Buddhist temple in Vietnam, where he learned woodcarving. He discovered his love for wildfowl carving in 1988, at a local wildlife gallery. To see more pictures of Chau's carvings click here..

  • Pete LeClair -CCA member will be doing 2 classes in area Rotonda West, FL - 3 day bust class 7,8,9 March 2012 in Rotonda, FL (near Englewood) Below is the picture of the "Gambler" bust that Pete will do for this seminar. The other pictures are characters from the same bust blank that students can chose to do instead and they also can chose to do for the bottle stopper project. The bust is the main project, the bottle stopper is a project Pete gives out for the faster carvers to work on in between "steps" of the bust.

    Click on images for larger view.

    Cost - $110 which includes the blanks and a CD. Bring your lunch, refrigerator available. Checks OK - make out to Pete LeClair
    Address - held in Rotonda West, FL 33947 Call or email Jim for a reservation - 941-697-2002 - jeodea@aol.com

    Venice, FL - 2 day class carving a "small bust" 15,16 March 2012 in Venice, FL Bust will be from a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 6 inches Basswood blank. Several possible "characters" you can do from the same generic blank. NO painting but CD with picture of project you get will have painting instructions. Instructional fee and materials $75 for this 2 day class.

    Pictured below several to give you an idea of what he will be doing BUT more will be available by the time of the semina as Pete is designing a whole new set of characters.
    click image for larger view

    Click to see more of Pete LeClair's carvings here.

    Cost - $110 which includes the blanks and a CD. Bring your lunch. Call or email Jim for a reservation - 941-697-2002 - jeodea@aol.com

    Pete, a resident of Gardner, Massachusetts, has been carving since 1973 and began showing his work in 1990. In 1994 Pete won Best of Show at the Susquehanna Decoy and Woodcarving Show in Pennsylvania, and is a two time Texas Whittling Champion in the open competition! See more about Pete LeClair and his woodcarvings.

    Pete has a painting video on YouTube click here.

    Pete teaches in a very structured manner, step by step. Thus to get the full benefit of the class students must be there at the start and stay thru the end of the class.

    Pete recommends (but not required) : #9 sweep -5mm (Swiss gouge); #11-3mm (Swiss gouge); #9-3/8" (Harmen or Ramulson gouge); #7-1/2" (Harmen or Ramulson gouge).Pete will have several extras of these recommended gouges with him for the students to use during the class

    Pete is a member of the prestigious Caricature Carvers of America. He was inducted into CCA in September 1994. He now teaches seminars throughout the country and recently taught and lectured in the UK and Australia. He is the author of three books. Carving Caricature Heads & Faces, Carving Caricature Figures from Scratch and "Carving A Caricature Bust". Pete also contributed to the book Carving the Full Moon Saloon and Carving the Circus. You can see Pete's books at here on Amazon Books

    If you want information on upcoming seminars, e-mail Jim O'Dea

    Classes currently offered to your local club by Jim O'Dea.

    Woodcarving Roundups ( once a year events, multi day, multi classes at once)

    Information of interest to Woodcarvers

    Other Related Sites

    If your woodcarving website would be of interest to viewers of this site and you are interested in exchanging links, please Jim O'Dea e-mail

    Interested in ABRANET -the newest thing in sanding wood?? Click here for details

    To return to the Florida Woodcarvers Roundup web site click here.