Senior Times • March 2017
7
Artistry in Wood show to feature carvings, demonstrations BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz
A Montana man believes woodcarving can help give voice to feelings when words fail. Tom Collins said transforming a block of wood into art is a way to get at the things that matter most. “There’s things inside of people and you think, ‘How do I communicate this to people — the things I value,” he said. Collins, 65, of Plains, Montana, is the featured woodcarver at the 23rd annual Artistry in Wood show, which runs March 18-19 in Kennewick. He began carving seriously seven years ago. “I’ve always wanted to wood carve and now that I’m semi-retired I can really commit to it,” said Collins, who worked directing a Bible camp for 30 years. He said he’s excited to come to the Tri-Cities for his first gig as a featured carver to share his love of the craft. “I’ll be encouraging others to carve and express themselves,” said Collins, a member of the Plains Carving Club. That’s what he finds interesting about carving, the ability to express himself. He points to one of the pieces he carved that came about after a missionary trip to west Africa where he helped prepare amputees for prosthetics. The carving made from birch is called “Severed” and features a single leg reaching from a pair of blue shorts to the ground. The place where the other leg should be is empty space. “I spent two weeks caring for these kids — they were mostly kids and women — and it impacts you deeply. How do you communicate that? That’s one of the reasons I carved that — to express the story behind the blood diamond story,” he said, referring to the gems mined in African civil war zones, often by forced labor. Collins estimated he spent about 40 hours carving the piece. His wooden bust of an African boy is a likeness of his adopted grandson Aaron, a troubled kid of 12 at the time. “My attempt was to give this grandson a sense of significance and to communicate that he had some worth,” he said. Today, Aaron is almost 18 years old. “He’s a fine young man now. He’s kind and considerate,” he said. Collins said he gave the carving to his grandson when he turned 16. “Mixed Emotions” is one of Collins’ earlier pieces. He said he wanted to practice carving faces and various facial expressions to hone his skills. “What should I do with that? Put it in a bowl and put a whip there and call
it ‘Mixed Emotions,’” he said. Collins said he’s always wanted to carve and thinks the desire stems from a memory. “My grandfather died when I was 5. I have this memory that I don’t even know if it was true or if it’s a compilation of memories: I was sitting on his lap and he carved me a willow whistle. Some things stick with us. I’ve always wanted to carve and now I get to,” he said. Collins said he tries to be disciplined and carve 15 minutes a day “but I just love the days when I can go into my carving cave for six hours,” he said. Collins said he tries to write an explanation to accompany each of his carvings. “It’s not just a story but sometimes a poem. Sometimes it’s prose or rhythm, to give it more of a context,” he said.
Tri-City show and sale
The Tri-City show and sale, organized by the Tri-Cities Woodcarvers Association, runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 18, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at Tri-Tech Skills Center, 5929 W. Metaline Ave., in Kennewick. Items for sale include wood, carving knives, instruction books, carvings, chainsaw art and walking sticks. Eight demonstrations are planned. A raffle on Sunday, March 19 features more than 100 items. Admission is $3 with those 12 and under admitted free. Tri-Tech Skills Center students will offer food specials with $12 tickets for breakfast or lunch. The association, which has 35 members, meets three times a week to carve: from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to noon Fridays at the Kennewick Senior Center, 500 S. Auburn St., and from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays at the First Avenue Center, 505 N. First Ave., Pasco. More information at tri-citieswood carvingclub.blogspot.com or on Facebook.
Tom Collins of Plains, Montana, is the featured woodcarver at the 23rd annual Artistry in Wood carving show and sale, organized by the TriCities Woodcarvers Association. It runs March 18-19 in Kennewick. (Courtesy Tom Collins)
Through season of change you have kept your promise of love, honor and respect. Dementia has brought change, but your commitment remains strong. Let us help you to continue to love, honor and respect during this challenging season.
509-783-5433 5505 W. Skagit Ct. Kennewick, WA