Parables in Wood: Inspired Shapes from Nature

with Christopher White

August 18-22, 2025

$995.00

$65 material fee payable to Christopher

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About This Workshop

Every line, plane and form on an object gives a command to your eye. Why does one wood project look “busy” while another, with just as many lines and planes, gracefully flow? What makes the difference? Learn to coordinate and command the lines and planes in your wood projects to produce grace and movement in your designs. Movement in wood is simply the product of “S” curves and rotating planes; flow is produced by the coordination of those principles. This class challenges a person’s way of viewing woodworking altogether. Its objective is to give each student a greater awareness and command of lines, planes, and forms, expressed through the simple principles of movement. A deeper objective is to gain the awareness that our Creator desires to hang with His creations and aid them in their creative endeavors. Can we actually realize God’s help and presence by inviting Him into projects? This could be one principle that makes all the difference. The principles of movement are repeatedly applied and exercised as students carve a piece of wood or turned vessel into polished fluid forms. These abstract wood sculptures can serve as stand-alone sculptures or ornately designed cradles to complement and uniquely display a turned vessel. The line, planes, and forms that comprise the sculpture can be used to direct the eye to or through the turned vessel. More importantly, once learned, these principles become tools that can be applied in furniture making, woodturning, wood carving or classic sculpting. Students will learn: the mechanics of carving with power or hand tools, how to use a cabinet maker’s pattern rasp, and how to finish wood to a glass-like glowing finish. Christopher will also discuss using the grain pattern for emphasis. Wood for an abstract sculpture is provided for the first project. Additional wood can be purchased directly from Christopher.

Key Points

  • The principles of movement, balance, and design
  • Adding movement to classic shapes
  • The use of negative spaces in design
  • Rotating a plane at a controlled rate
  • Merging lines and planes
  • How to design a piece to receive a glass-like finish
  • How to recognize wood grain from the outside
  • The use of a cabinet maker’s pattern rasp
  • The use of a gouge and mallet (hand carving)
  • The use of typhoon burrs on flex shaft (power carving)

Christopher White

Interested in learning more about the instructor and their workshops?

Get all the details about our Full Week Programs, including Tuesday night presentations, by visiting the Full Week Programs page.

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$995.00

Parables in Wood: Inspired Shapes from Nature with Christopher White August 18-22, 2025

Registration begins

Monday December 2, 2024

SKU 2025-176 Click on a Link to Search By: , , , , ,
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