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February 11, 2026
CALCARVER JANUARY 2026
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February 11, 2026
CALCARVER JANUARY 2026
CALCARVER JANUARY 2026
Mary-Leigh Doyle on February 11, 2026 at 1:49 am
Dig ’em Out and Dust ’em Off
AND THE WINNER IS… Jerry’s latest challenge to the club saw us all digging out old abandoned projects and either completing or improving them. In total there were 14 submissions when final judging took place. That means there were 14 carvings that otherwise would have been wood pile orphans, rejected and forgotten. Winners were named but all the participants won having pieces to show proudly rather than hide away.
#1 Howie C.
The Wizard, carved by Howie C. was inspired by Middle Earth’s Gandalf character. Completed in March of 2020, it was roughed out from a large block of basswood, 12″ x 6″ x 4″ with a staff carved from black walnut. The working drawings, photos and instructions by Shawn Cipa in his book Carving Fantasy & Legend Figures in Wood were understandable and easy to follow, leaving no doubt in the mind of even a novice carver as to what was required to achieve a successful completion. This wizard was given a hand-rubbed finish with both Danish and Tung oil to enhance the colour and contrast of whatever grain patterns that emerged through the shaping process. A number and variety of troughs were carved into the wizard’s coat to give the impression of movement caused by a strong wind. The beard was carved with wind in mind as well, thus emphasizing its flowing patterns and a finish with a light mahogany stain to enhance contrast.well.
#2 Ted W.
This was my 1st carving in early 1960 after a 5 year break in carving. Made from a spruce 2 x 4 and roughed out with a hatchet. My knife was war surplus and it is painted with oils. The original base was a burl and the pedestal was perspex from a Spitfire windshield, it got busted in the 70’s and the feet were lost. It rattled around in a box until I restored it in Jan 2026.
#3 Wendy A.
I love the unusual, the whimsical. We are always learning, constantly growing in all aspects of our lives and as a book lover I thought it would be fun to carve a different kind of fun book. So I had the idea and got started I think about 2 years ago. I got my wood, mapped out my idea then it was put on the back shelf. I cannot honestly tell you why I stopped working on it for so long. I am, however, very glad this contest encouraged me to get it out and finish it and although I found it challenging, I had a lot of fun working on it. I really didn’t expect to win, not with all the wonderful and talented carvers we have in our group so with that said I am very grateful for everyone who voted for my little fun book. Thank you and thank you Jerry for this great idea. What’s next?
President’s Message
I thought it was quite fitting last night to have our contest of items that had been put off for a while at a night for the contest that also got put off for a while.
Thanks to all that participated it was nice to see all these projects that finally came to life. I know there are others out there that finished carvings also but due to other things going on they were not able to join us, hopefully getting your carvings finished was a great relief to yous and maybe you can share them with us at a later time.
Keep the wood chips flying,
Jerry M.
Keep carving and keep your fingers out of the way
Name That Tool
Keep scrolling to find out the answer!
In-House Event as Dale C. Leads Us in a Group Activity
Something of Interest: Thomas Dambo
Thomas Dambo hails from Odense, Denmark. Often called the world’s leading recycling artist having he has produced large scale sculptures made entirely from discarded materials. His giant trolls are among his most famous works. In fact More than 170 of them have been built from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, from forests to deserts.
As a child his parents raised him and his brother to appreciate the value of protecting nature and using recycled materials to make their own toys, costumes, tree houses, and anything else that may have occurred to them. He went on to study at Kolding Design School and in 2010, he graduated with a degree in Interactive Design. He has pursued multiple artistic disciplines within the visual art and the music world even performing as a rapper, human beatbox, and creating graffiti and street art. In 2011, He left his job in Danish television to focus on a full-time career in art.
Today, Thomas Dambo lives on his farm in the Danish countryside, where he has his studio.As a passionate environmentalist he also offers talks about his art practice and workshops to teach people how to reuse and upcycle.
“My mission is Waste No More: our world is drowning in trash while we are running out of natural resources. I choose to spend my life showing the world that beautiful things can be made out of trash.
I give new life to discarded materials by turning them into large-scale artworks. My aim at the moment is to build 1,000 Trolls using recycled materials all over the world.”
Thomas Dambo’s creative vision is to transform trash into art, blending it with a sense of adventure through the exploration required to find his works, most of which are hidden in natural landscapes. He collaborates closely with local communities, involving them in various stages of his projects, from collecting discarded materials, helping build the sculptures, to maintaining the finished sculptures.
“The involvement of people is essential to my mission. I can set an example, but it’s the whole world that needs to waste no more.”
Calcarver Family Album: A Random Sampling of Life in the Calgary Carver’s Club
Name that tool: The StudPoP is a simple non-electronic magnetic stud finder that uses a high-powered magnet to locate metal fasteners (screws or nails) in wood or metal studs behind drywall.
Help me serve you better
Send me your news and your photos! With your help, the newsletter will only get better. Please send me info on your events, news, and photos so that in upcoming issues, I can support you and keep the club updated.
If you have an idea for a story or a great article to share, send me those too.
Send your ads to create a classifieds section with woodworking supplies and equipment for sale.
I appreciate your help. Contact me here!
CALCARVER JANUARY 2026
Mary-Leigh Doyle on February 11, 2026 at 1:49 amDig ’em Out and Dust ’em Off
AND THE WINNER IS… Jerry’s latest challenge to the club saw us all digging out old abandoned projects and either completing or improving them. In total there were 14 submissions when final judging took place. That means there were 14 carvings that otherwise would have been wood pile orphans, rejected and forgotten. Winners were named but all the participants won having pieces to show proudly rather than hide away.
#1 Howie C.
The Wizard, carved by Howie C. was inspired by Middle Earth’s Gandalf character. Completed in March of 2020, it was roughed out from a large block of basswood, 12″ x 6″ x 4″ with a staff carved from black walnut. The working drawings, photos and instructions by Shawn Cipa in his book Carving Fantasy & Legend Figures in Wood were understandable and easy to follow, leaving no doubt in the mind of even a novice carver as to what was required to achieve a successful completion. This wizard was given a hand-rubbed finish with both Danish and Tung oil to enhance the colour and contrast of whatever grain patterns that emerged through the shaping process. A number and variety of troughs were carved into the wizard’s coat to give the impression of movement caused by a strong wind. The beard was carved with wind in mind as well, thus emphasizing its flowing patterns and a finish with a light mahogany stain to enhance contrast.well.
#2 Ted W.
This was my 1st carving in early 1960 after a 5 year break in carving. Made from a spruce 2 x 4 and roughed out with a hatchet. My knife was war surplus and it is painted with oils. The original base was a burl and the pedestal was perspex from a Spitfire windshield, it got busted in the 70’s and the feet were lost. It rattled around in a box until I restored it in Jan 2026.
#3 Wendy A.
I love the unusual, the whimsical. We are always learning, constantly growing in all aspects of our lives and as a book lover I thought it would be fun to carve a different kind of fun book. So I had the idea and got started I think about 2 years ago. I got my wood, mapped out my idea then it was put on the back shelf. I cannot honestly tell you why I stopped working on it for so long. I am, however, very glad this contest encouraged me to get it out and finish it and although I found it challenging, I had a lot of fun working on it. I really didn’t expect to win, not with all the wonderful and talented carvers we have in our group so with that said I am very grateful for everyone who voted for my little fun book. Thank you and thank you Jerry for this great idea. What’s next?
President’s Message
I thought it was quite fitting last night to have our contest of items that had been put off for a while at a night for the contest that also got put off for a while.
Thanks to all that participated it was nice to see all these projects that finally came to life. I know there are others out there that finished carvings also but due to other things going on they were not able to join us, hopefully getting your carvings finished was a great relief to yous and maybe you can share them with us at a later time.
Keep the wood chips flying,
Jerry M.
Keep carving and keep your fingers out of the way
Name That Tool
Keep scrolling to find out the answer!
In-House Event as Dale C. Leads Us in a Group Activity
Something of Interest: Thomas Dambo
Thomas Dambo hails from Odense, Denmark. Often called the world’s leading recycling artist having he has produced large scale sculptures made entirely from discarded materials. His giant trolls are among his most famous works. In fact More than 170 of them have been built from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, from forests to deserts.
As a child his parents raised him and his brother to appreciate the value of protecting nature and using recycled materials to make their own toys, costumes, tree houses, and anything else that may have occurred to them. He went on to study at Kolding Design School and in 2010, he graduated with a degree in Interactive Design. He has pursued multiple artistic disciplines within the visual art and the music world even performing as a rapper, human beatbox, and creating graffiti and street art. In 2011, He left his job in Danish television to focus on a full-time career in art.
Today, Thomas Dambo lives on his farm in the Danish countryside, where he has his studio.As a passionate environmentalist he also offers talks about his art practice and workshops to teach people how to reuse and upcycle.
“My mission is Waste No More: our world is drowning in trash while we are running out of natural resources. I choose to spend my life showing the world that beautiful things can be made out of trash.
I give new life to discarded materials by turning them into large-scale artworks. My aim at the moment is to build 1,000 Trolls using recycled materials all over the world.”
Thomas Dambo’s creative vision is to transform trash into art, blending it with a sense of adventure through the exploration required to find his works, most of which are hidden in natural landscapes. He collaborates closely with local communities, involving them in various stages of his projects, from collecting discarded materials, helping build the sculptures, to maintaining the finished sculptures.
“The involvement of people is essential to my mission. I can set an example, but it’s the whole world that needs to waste no more.”
Calcarver Family Album: A Random Sampling of Life in the Calgary Carver’s Club
Name that tool: The StudPoP is a simple non-electronic magnetic stud finder that uses a high-powered magnet to locate metal fasteners (screws or nails) in wood or metal studs behind drywall.
Help me serve you better
Send me your news and your photos! With your help, the newsletter will only get better. Please send me info on your events, news, and photos so that in upcoming issues, I can support you and keep the club updated.
If you have an idea for a story or a great article to share, send me those too.
Send your ads to create a classifieds section with woodworking supplies and equipment for sale.
I appreciate your help. Contact me here!