MARYSVILLE — The first thing Wade Faries ever carved was a rabbit.
He made the small figure out of a discarded piece of rhododendron. A wood-carving instructor he met by chance urged Faries to enter the piece in a show. The suggestion fueled Faries’ passion for wood carving.
That was about 15 years ago, and Faries, 76, of Marysville, has been an avid wood carver since.
He is one of about 80 members of Quilceda Carvers, which usually meets the fourth Saturday of each month at Jennings Memorial Park in Marysville.
The club started in Clearview in 1979, the club’s president, Larry Carter, said Saturday. Members learn from each other, show off finished works and hold fundraisers.
Carter, 63, of Lake Stevens, has been carving wood for more than 30 years. He is going to share his skill teaching a class at the senior center in Everett.
With wood carving, no one method works for everyone, he said. People can start with a big piece of wood and end up with a tiny carving.
“The best part of carving is, when you are done, you get to show off,” Carter said.
He got hooked on the hobby after seeing wood carvers at the Evergreen State Fair. He is now of them.
Carter first started carving with a pocket knife, then moved on to a chain saw. Most recently he’s been working on a wood sculpture of a flock of sheep.
A wood carving several feet in dimension typically takes a couple hours, Carter said. He sometimes carves large, intricate pieces for sale, such as merry-go-round animal figures.
Faries doesn’t sell his stuff, but he puts his skills to work by teaching classes and making things for family and friends. “When someone needs something, I usually just happen to own it,” he said.
He likes carving small pieces, figures that fit into the palm of your hand, like that very first rabbit. Those take from several minutes to three quarters of an hour.
“It’s very relaxing,” he said. Faries carves in a doctor’s office (if he can find a waste basket), in a restaurant, anywhere. He said he would do it on a plane if he could bring his carving knife on a flight.
Faries’ wife, Barb, also works with wood, making wood burnings of still lifes, animals and flowers. They make great gifts, she said.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
More info
To learn more about Quilceda Carvers, go to www.quilcedacarvers.org. Join the group for carving lessons, entertainment and camping at the Spit-N-Whittle weekend July 30 to Aug.1.
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