Chris Pye: Woodcarving is dedicated to the teaching, the learning and the love of woodcarving and is run by me, Chris Pye, a professional woodcarver, author and teacher of woodcarving.
If you haven't looked around the website, then please do now, to get a good idea of what is developing.
Subscribing to the newsletter is on the front (home) page.

The website has a free newsletter, which started off with just occasional news, updates to the site and so on, but now (March 2002) has a subscriber base of over 1700; and the number is quietly but strongly growing.

I'm sure that one of the reasons for the increasing number of subscribers is that I have been making the newsletter more interesting by including useful thoughts, tips, and the answers to quick questions about woodcarving.
My aim is always to help others learn to carve; to develop good, competent woodcarving skills; to support their progress, and rejoice in what they make.

But carvers are human beings and most woodcarvers have a wide range of interests, of which carving is only one - unlike myself, who seems obsessed - and bring to their carving the whole range of human experience.

I am starting to add longer pieces, around 3-500 words, of two sorts:

1. Direct Woodcarving Advice

   In particular from those with direct experience of working in wood although not necessarily on 'carving' as such. It may be modelling, wood, where to see something special, and so on.

   There is wide scope here to share your woodcarving experiences. If you feel you have some relevant experience to offer and can write it tightly, please let me know!

    

2. Wider interest - called 'Parallel Lines'.

   I have found that, as a woodcarving teacher, actual 'hands on' carving is often the least of a student's problems; carving itself is a fairly straightforward skill.

   There may be a need for vision, or seeing three-dimensionally; to develop confidence, or the ability to concentrate; to sort out personal space and time; to develop energy, passion, discipline and so on. Carving only blossoms when these issues are addressed. I am convinced of this because the 'inner game' is my experience too.

   So the articles of this type will address these 'behind the scenes' human concerns that support or hinder the creative carving process.
   I would usually follow such an article with my own comment, of where the parallel lies for woodcarvers, if this is not obvious.

   The easy traps of sententious or sentimental writing must be avoided. Otherwise if you have a view of life, or experience, that might have parallel relevance to woodcarvers, let me know!

Terms and conditions of acceptance:

• Submission of an article (copy) by default gives me, Chris Pye, the right to publish it in the free website newsletter (current and back issues) available from the website. Any other publication will only be with the author's consent.
• There is, I'm afraid, no financial remuneration in writing for the newsletter. I will of course be very happy to acknowledge you as author and include your details, along with your website (and/or email link), and signature line if you have one.
• You must be the author, or have verifiable rights to the text.
• Acceptance of the article is entirely at my discretion; submitting is not a guarantee of acceptance.
• I am looking for good quality writing. Unless specified otherwise, I may edit an article for length or content, but certainly would not publish same without author's consent.

That's it!
If you want to discuss a topic, or anything contained on this page, then please drop me a line.

Thanks!
Chris Pye