Carving Wood Spirits in Cottonwood Bark

Woodcarver Skylar Johnson knows how to get the most out of a hunk of wood. Using basic woodworking tools (including chisels and several sizes of gouges) he coaxes “wood spirits” (usually whimsical-looking male faces with deeply-dimensional and exaggerated features, including long beards and bushy, flowing hair) out of cottonwood tree bark (cottonwoods grow in wet locations throughout the U.S.). The “bark” actually consists of a nice thick inner layer (called the cork) as well as the bark-y looking outer layer, and it's the cork part that offers fertile ground for an imaginative carver. A natural teacher, Johnson begins with tips for selecting a good piece of wood (one with enough cracks to have character, but not so deep as to make the wood unusable) before demonstrating the carving process from start to finish, offering detailed description as he whittles. Sure to appeal to arts and crafts aficionados, this is recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)