MARY MAY CARVING CLASS - REPORT

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MARY MAY CARVING CLASS-REPORT

CARVING A BALL & CLAW FOOT AND ACANTHUS LEAVES ON THE KNEE OF A PHILADELPHIA LOWBOY LEG
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The Lone Star Chapter of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers held its' quarterly meeting on Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13 from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. each day, at the Woodcraft store located at 11707 West Sam Houston Parkway South, Houston, Texas.

Our instructor was Mary May of Charleston Wood and Stone Carving and what a show it was!  This is the second time Mary has done a class for the Lone Star Chapter in Houston.  Nineteen eager to learn members of the Lone Star Chapter participated in what proved to be an excellent and most informative carving class.  Each student received full sized patterns and came to class with a cut out leg blank ready to learn.  Mary instructed step by step how to carve a Philadelphia style ball & claw foot and then carving the acanthus leaves on the knee.  From layout to final shaping, drawing the acanthus leaves and carving them, Mary left out no detail.  As members carved at their benches, Mary made the rounds giving each student individual attention.  You had to be there to experience Mary's exceptional talent and superior teaching skills.  Her love of teaching really shines when there are enthusiastic, eager students.  As preparation for the class, Mary produced very professionally done instructional dvds and study casts for both the ball & claw foot and the acanthus leaves on the knee.  These dvds and study casts will soon be available for sale in the SAPFM store. 

SPECIAL THANKS! Special thanks go to Jim Thompson for drawing the full sized leg pattern and cutting out the leg blanks that were shipped to Mary several months prior to the class and for his unselfish time in helping me put this class together.  Special thanks to Debbi and Gerry Shoemaker for once again hosting Mary in their beautiful home.  Thanks to store manager Rick Bragg and all the crew at Woodcraft for allowing us to use their classroom and opening up the store early on Sunday.  Thanks to all of the Lone Star members who made this class such a success.  Last, but ceratinly not least, a very special thanks to Mary for making the trip to Houston and sharing her talent and teaching skills with us.  THANK YOU MARY from a very appreciative Lone Star Chapter!

Mary's assessment:  "Judging from the amount of wood chips and shavings on the floor, I'd say it was a success."

This class is just another example of how we are preserving the art and the craft of building eighteenth century furniture.

The following and subsequent posts are but a few of the photographs from the meeting.


Norman Landry
 
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