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
North Port Woodcarvers Club This club meets on Monday afternoons from 12:00 - 3pm at the VFW post in North Port on Pan American Blvd and corner with Trott Circle. map to the VFW address for GPS users - 4860 Trott Circle, North Port, FL - (941) 426-6865. There is usually a class going during the season and beginners are always welcome. Contact: Ken Ireland
941-426-2688 akiwdcarver@aol.com or Jean Smith 941-697-8499 or jeansmithfl@gmail.com
Myakka River Woodcarvers Club and the Harbor Lakes Woodcarvers Club - These two clubs a meet jointly on Monday morning from 8am-11:30am at the main community center building of the Harbor Lakes Encore RV Park on Rt 776 in ElJobean. For GPS users address is 3737 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte, FL - (941) 624-4511 Click here for a Map The Myakka River Woodcarvers Club formerly met at the Gulf Cove United Methodist Church ("Blue Roofed church"). The clubs host a Woodcarving Show which is typically a one day show on Saturday 5Feb.
Englewood Woodcarvers - Presbyterian Church on 405 Old McCall Rd, Englewood Fridays 12pm -3 pm Contact: Bob Mortenson - 941-697-5980.
For a map click here.
Charlotte County Woodcarvers Club - Tuesday mornings - at Punta Gorda Boat Club, 802 Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda Map to the club facility
Peace Woodcarvers Club-click here for web site- meets at the Spear recreation Bldg, Rt 17 north, Arcadia,FL every Tuesday 8am - 11:30am mid Nov - mid April. For a map to the location click here.
Venice Woodcarving- Senior Friendship Center 2350 Scenic Drive (off Shamrock Blvd) on Tuesday morning 9am-12 Noon and Thursday afternoons 12 Noon-3 pm . For a map click here.
Gulf Coast Woodcarvers Guild members and non-members carve at several locations in Sarasota area. The Guild holds business meetings on the 2nd Saturday of the month at the Boy's and Girl's Club, 3100 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota. For a map to that location click here.For a membership application click here. Contact Bette Lou Cookson blcookson@verizon.net for more info about the Guild.
Manatee Woodcarver Club - 1st United Methodist, 330 11th Ave W & 4th St., Palmetto,FL 34221. Monday - 8:30- 12 Noon, everyone is welcome. Contact is Bernie Huizenga 941-723-2188 huizengak@gmail.com . For a map to there location click here.
Cultural Center of Charlotte County Woodcarvers - 2280 Aaron St, Port Charlotte, meet Wednesday mornings, the center also has woodcarving classes taught by George Stewart on Tuesdays and Thursdays, click here and look under the winter or spring season and then "Special arts and Woodworking" classes
Caloosa Carvers- FT Myers The Salvation Army Community Center, 10291 McGregor Blvd (1 1/2 South of Colonial Blvd), Fort Myers, Florida 33919 Meets every Wednesday morning from 8:30 until noon. For a map to this location click here.
Bonita Woodcarvers Club - Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero,FL 33928 - Wednesday 1pm to 3pm all year - From Corkscrew Road one mile east of U.S. 41, turn south onto Corkscrew Palms Boulevard- From I-75 take exit 123 and then west on Corkscrew Road -, contact 823-5688, 498-6394 or 498-0415. For a map to this location click here.
Indian Creek RV and MHO Park - 17340 San Carlos Blvd.(1 1/2 blocks south of Summerlin Rd Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931 - Thursday and Friday 9 to 12 noon. For a map to this location click here for a map within the park click here.
Contact me if you want to more know about where and when these groups meet and I will put you in touch with their current officers. This is a work in progress so if you know more about these or any other clubs, please email Jim O'Dea the info.
For a list of clubs in all Florida
go to the Florida Woodcarvers Roundup web site look towards the bottom of the first page - click here
If you want your club displayed here or on the all Florida list, contact Jim O'Dea jeodea@aol.com.
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 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
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 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
Classes currently offered to your local club by Jim O'Dea.
Fundamentals Of Woodcarving Click here for information.
Carving your own Human Face Study Stick Click here for information.
Carving a Stylized Eagle from a Butternut Roughout Click here for information
Email me at jeodea@aol.com to discuss details and schedule a class.
Woodcarving Roundups ( once a year events, multi day, multi classes at once)
Florida Woodcarvers Roundup at The long Center in Clearwater in March - 20 woodcarving classes going at once. Non carving companions and visitors are welcome at anytime during the Roundup. Art and craft classes for non-carving companions may be available. Discounted motel accomodations available. Click here for details here
Woodcarvers Retreat in New Englandat the University of Rhode Island in Oct - 8 classes going at onceclick here held at University of Rhode Island Environmental Education Center over Columbus Day weekend
Lake Placid (NY) Woodcarving Experience at the Northwoods Inn in Sept - 12 classes scheduled - see info here.
NorthEast Woodcarvers Roundup at Honesdale, PA in June click here held near Scranton,PA last week of July. Also a "Fall Carve-in" is held about 1 Oct which has a "Quilters Retreat" going on at same time - See Fall Carve-in info here and Quilter retreat web site here.
Michigan Woodcarvers Roundup at Evart Michigan in June click here held in Evart, MI 2nd week of June
Indiana Woodcarvers Summer Camp at Bremen,IN in August Click here
Buckeye Woodcarvers Roundup 20+ miles north of Dayton, Ohio in July. For info click
here.
Information of interest to Woodcarvers
A free E-Book from Google on Woodcarving - one of the oldest I have seen but still has useful info - all pages are here- 1905 by Fred T. Hodgson, Collingwood, Ontario. Follow the links on this page to "preveiws" of more recent woodcarving books.
click here.
Butternut Trees- what is killing them, why it is getting hard to find it click here
Chau judging at a show - click for larger view.
