The Bio of Jim Sockwell

Jim Sockwell is a self-taught craftsman both in pottery and marquetry. His undergraduate degree was from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee where he majored in Art with a minor in Business.

From 1965 until 1970 he owned and operated a pottery studio, Tanglewood Pottery, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He became a member of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild in 1969 and began exhibiting at their two annual shows which were held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Asheville, NC. Tanglewood Pottery was well known throughout the southeast. It was carried by the Signature Shop in Atlanta and galleries in Oak Ridge, TN and Dalton, GA. It was also chosen for the Bicentennial Collection of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild and the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC.

In 1971 he moved his family to Spruce Pine, NC and operated Tanglewood Pottery at Bea Hensley’s studios on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He continued operating the studio until 1975 when he moved it to his new home on Carters Ridge Road.

His love for marquetry began while he was operating a studio on the Parkway next to Thayer Francis’s Marquetry Shop. He spent many hours visiting Mr. Francis’s studio and observing the making of marquetry. What he learned about the techniques was from observation only.

He continued to make marquetry on his own from 1975 until the present. He owns and operates Jim Sockwells Marquetry in Spruce Pine, NC. He is self-taught but has had many mentors along the way. A fellow Guild member, Robert Lowery and Charles Link (deceased) have been very helpful, as has Clyde Badger (89 yr. old) of Asheville.

He is a member of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild in pottery and marquetry, and has served as a member of the Board of Directors, Standards Committee and the Fair Committee of the Guild. His marquetry has been exhibited in the Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, Southern Highland Craft Guild Fairs, galleries and is in private collections throughout the United States.

He is also a member of the American Marquetry Society and the North Carolina and South Carolina Marquetry Association.

Jim Sockwell will will be scrolling and doing marquetry at this year’s 8th Annual Extravaganza. We encourage you to stop by, enjoy Extravaganza, and see Jim.

Images of Jim Sockwell's work:

The Bio of Dean Wright

Dean Wright’s interest in relief carving began in 1986 when his wife brought home two basswood boards and a relief carving tool. He took the basswood boards and crafted a wooden duck. Several weeks went by when a friend invited him to a carving show in Charlotte, NC. Seeing all of the handcrafted carvings invigorated Dean’s interest in carving.

He began joining woodcarving clubs in the area. Attending workshops and classes which included carving ducks, birds, caricatures, relief, chip carving, and realistic, animals and stylized.

In the beginning he carved exclusively using hand tools - gouges, palm chisels, detail knives. Many of his ideas come out of carving books and magazines. He used cutouts and rough out blanks.

After a while of using hand tools, he began using power tools to speed up the carving time. He attended power tool workshops and demos of different power tools. He purchased several different power tools. Now he combines hand tools and power tools to create his work of art.

Dean has participated in carving shows throughout four states including local shows and festivals. He has also given demonstrations on both power tools and hand tools. He most recently taught a class of golden age beginners at a local Senior Citizen Center. He has served as a club officer on numerous committees in two carving clubs and presently enjoys carving tremendously during his semi-retirement.

Dean Wright admits that this has been a fun journey and he owes a debt of gratitude to all who patiently instructed him in the art of wood carving. The art is vast with opportunities for those carving adventurers both experienced and novice to gain more knowledge and skill along the way and to expand their imagination with hand and power tools.

Dean will be at this year’s 8th Annual Extravaganza carving with a Proxxon Carver and Rotary tools. Come by and see Dean in action!

The Bio of Wayne Shinlever

Wayne Shinlever is a native resident of Knoxville Tennessee. Born and raised in Knoxville and currently resides there with his wife Judy. Wayne is a D.A.R.E. Officer for the Special Services Division of the Knox County Sheriff's Department.

He has been carving since 1985 and loves it more with every passing year. Not only does he carve for the enjoyment, but he also passes along the craft to others by teaching carving classes. For the last 10 years he has taught at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brass Town, NC. As well as the Tennessee Valley Wood Carver School in Crossville, TN. Also the Wood Crafts Shop in Knoxville, TN. In addition to various private clubs up and down the Eastern coast.

He has won more competition ribbons than he can keep up with. In the National Santa Claus Carving Competition he has received 2 Honorable Mentions in 4 years of entries. However, in 2006 he walked away with the Grand Prize in the competition! His entries into the International Caricature Carvers Competition have earned a 2nd and 3rd best in show.

Wayne Shinlever will be demonstrating at the 8th Annual Extravaganza. To learn more about Wayne Shinlever, visit Carvings by Wayne.

Carvings by Wayne. About the Artist. 15 Sep. 2008
< http://www.carvingsbywayne.com/About_the_Artist.html >.

The Bio of Wayne Barton

Wayne Barton is an American-born professional woodcarver who lives in Park Ridge, Illinois with his Swiss wife, Marlies. First given an interest in woodcarving at the age of five under the tutelage of his Norwegian grandfather, he has had a serious interest in, and love for carving all his life.

Wayne took his formal training in Brienz, Switzerland, the woodcarving center of that country. Although versed in all disciplines of carving, he specializes in chip carving and has devoted the last twenty-five years to its advancement. Single handedly, he has been the driving force of the recognition and renaissance chip carving has enjoyed in North America this past quarter century.

Wayne Barton is the author of four best selling books published in six countries and a video and all on chip carving. They are the most informative and instructional books and video on the subject available. He has developed the finest and the most popular chip carving knives used by more carvers than any other knives. These are the knives that have set the standard by which all others are judged. He also developed and pioneered the very popular ceramic sharpening stones in use today.
Wayne is the founder of The Alpine School of Woodcarving, Ltd., the oldest establishment in North America specializing in, and dedicated to the education, training, teaching, and encouragement of chip carving. In addition, he teaches at a variety of other venues including colleges, clubs, institutions, and organizations across the United States, Canada, and in Switzerland. He is also a visiting artist/lecturer at the esteemed Chicago Art institute in Chicago, Il. His carvings are sought after by collectors and can be found in private collections around the world.

Wayne Barton's work has been recognized and honored in special exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, Switzerland. Today, he continues carving, teaching and introducing others to this most enjoyable, decorative and easy-to-learn style of carving.

Wayne Barton will be demonstrating at the 8th Annual Extravaganza. To learn more about Wayne Barton, visit Alpine School of Wood Carving.

Alpine School of Wood Carving. About Wayne. 15 Sep. 2008
< http://www.chipcarving.com/about_wayne.htm>.

2008 Schedule of Events

Friday, October 24th:
9:00 - Register carvings
Begin raffle
11:00 - 12:00 Demonstration by Catawba Valley Basketmakers’ Guild Basket making
12:00 -1:00 Demonstration by Wayne Barton Chip carving
1:00 - 2:00 Demonstration by Wayne Shinlever Caricature carving
2:00 - 3:00 Demonstration by Tim Trudgeon - Pumpkin carving
7:00 Close Registration

Saturday's Door Prizes:
You do not have to be present to win a door prize. Winner’s name will be posted. Drawings will be at 11:00 and 1:00.

Saturday, October 25th:
7:00 Register carvings
9:00 Close Registration
9:10 Begin judging competition
10:00 - 11:30 Single blade carving competition
11:00 - 12:00 Demonstration by Catawba Valley Basketmakers’ Guild Basket making
11:00 - 2:00 Demonstration by Patrick Eubanks Traditional decoy carving and painting
12:00 - 1:00 Demonstration by Wayne Barton - Chip carving
12:30 - 2:00 Any tools carving competition
2:30 Category #28 exchange carvings
3:00 Awards
Raffle drawings
4:00 Check out