The course isn’t primarily about the scenery, however, and they soon got us down to carving. The basic format is to carve from one of the models found in their room full of carvings. Select a model, measure it and have the wood cut to size and then off you go. The amount of support you receive from the tutors is sufficient to help make sure that you achieve a reasonable result, which also helps you learn what you need to at each stage in the progresses. The amount of help you get will partly depend on how well you are getting on.
As this course is 2 weeks long there is a 3 day tour included in the programme. Originally I was dubious of the need for this, but by the time I got to it I was more than happy to have a bit of a carving rest. The tour was wonderful, and these shots may provide an idea of just how good it was.
The tour included many carving related stops, from churches to the UNIKA art gallery. One of the fascinating aspects of this part of the trip was the way that the sculptures were finished. Mostly flawless, each carving had at least a few cuts and tears left in the surface. Given the quality of the carvings this can’t have been a mistake. I believe it is to make sure that it is clear the pieces are hand-carved wood, and not plastic or mass manufactured.
On returning to the school I was full of enthusiasm to get back to it. The course allows various options, including painting and gilding of the pieces in the traditional style. Although I was originally booked to do the painting course I decided to just keep carving…
Again, the tuition was excellent and it allowed me to complete pieces to a standard I would not be able to unsupported. Still though, the carving was not the only attraction – especially towards the end of the week when we were treated to a night of musical entertainment. The evening was lead by the guilding teacher, and several of the carvers joined in. The course also includes a non-carving programme, and they started the evening with a very special number composed for the occasion.
Overall, the whole experience was very special. I can thoroughly recommend the course, the region and the company to be found there. I would like to take my family back to the region sometime for a holiday, and hope to be learning to improve my carving again there someday. In the mean time, I need to earn lots of brownie points with my wife. She was home looking after the children all this time.
David