This was the fifth year

we held the RETREAT and with an all volunteer instructor and organizational staff. Once again it was held at the woodland and ponds of the Alton B. Jones Annex of the University of Rhode Island. The Retreat ran from Friday night at 5:30pm through Monday at 4:30pm; 5, 6 , 7, and 8 October 2001.

For 2001 we had 7 formal classes as well as the option for people to attend and work on their own projects. Our general format for classes has been to have one subject for Saturday and Sunday and then have students switch instructors on Monday for a different one day class. There were exceptions again this year due to the complexity of the projects which in order to complete the project reguired 3 days such as the Red tailed hawk project. Classes on Monday continued through 5pm, no evening meal was provided on Monday

Instructors in 2001 included:

Jim Roediger's class (Mystic Carvers Club) carving a set of "Flying Geese" which could be mounted on a flat board or directly on a wall. This was a two day class.

Harold Griffin's class (Mystic Carvers Club) carving an in the round "Sperm Whale". This was a two day class.
Whale carving class.
Whale Class.

Claire Ruch instructing "Mallard Hen" from a rough out. This required only a minimal of work setting side pockets with a Fordom. Claire concentrated on proper feather layout and burning of feathers. This was a two day class.

Students in George Elliot's (Mystic Carvers Club) caricature carving "Little Heads" class. This was a two day class.

George Elliot's project for "Little Heads" class.

Peter Benson, (Chairman of the British Woodcarvers Association) taught a class carving an "Animal " in the round, several choice of subjects, two day class. Peter is pictured here relaxing after class.

Rip Stangroom's(New England Wood Carvers Club)students carving a full figure Cival War Soldier in flat plane style. This was a two day class.

In addition to the above classes, we had workshop doing mallet and chisel carving of a full size "Red Tailed Hawk". Four carvers worked as individual on 4 pieces of the bird (the head, body and each wing) from a chainsawed rough with mallet, chisel and power chisels they had brought with them. This bird was donated donated to the URI Environmental Education Center which operates the facilities we stay in. Ray Johnson (Mystic Carvers Club) will be lead this workshop with artistic interprtation by Norm Slater (Mystic Carvers Club).

Red Tailed Hawk group project. This was a two day class.
Ray Johnson working on the Red Tailed Hawk.

Check in started at 5:00 p.m. on Friday 5 October 2001. We had a self-serve evening meal available starting at 5:30 P.M. Friday night. At 7 P.M. we had introductions of the RETREAT organizers and instructors, and asked everyone to introduce himself or herself. Individual who had brought a carving for show and tell did so.

Typical Meal Line.

On Saturday and Sunday nights, several of the attendees volunteered to instruct informal classes. Ed Cattey- Knife making class

Once again we had a basswood egg carving contest.

On Monday demonstration/carve alongs included:

Monday - Rip Stangroom did basic Human Face, bottle stopper size

Monday - Peter Benson did a small Wren

Monday - Jim Roediger did a Christams Tree ornament

Monday - Harold Griffin did an Indian Head relief carving 4 inches tall

Monday - Claire Ruch will a feather pin

Monday - George Elliot gave instruction in painting techniques for little heads

Monday all day - Ray Johnson and Norm Slater(continued working on Red Tailed Hawk)

Peter Benson's stylized Wren

Various projects done over the weekend.

The Mystic Carvers Club of Mystic, Connecticut, USA was the sponsor of the Retreat.
Jim O'Dea e-mail me and Ray Johnson were the Co- Chairman of the Retreat.