nation's few wooden carousel animal carving school Carving school is one of nation's few Saturday, September 26, 2009 ROY L. WILLIAMS News staff writer
Five Points South has become home to one of the few carousel carving schools in the nation.
Birmingham's Ira Chaffin, a professional bronze sculptor who took up wood carving as a hobby eight years ago, on Friday opened Chaffin Carousel Carving School.
The school, located above Dave's Pub at 1124 20th St. South, is based on the carving teachings Chaffin learned from Bud Ellis, owner of Horsin' Around Carving School in Chattanooga.
Chaffin said he has taught wood carving to students at Pelham's Woodcraft store for years, and decided to start his own school so he could have more studio space.
Besides teaching both novices and experienced crafters how to chip animals out of wood, Chaffin uses one-third of the carving school as storage space for his bronze sculpturing pieces.
"All wood carvers are welcome here, whether you want to make carousel animals or not," Chaffin said. "I have students who have carved Indian head portraits, decorative walking sticks and ducks."
Chaffin's school contains dozens of his students' works, either finished or in process. One piece on display is a Greek mythical creature called a hippogriff, a combination of horse and griffin carved by Jean Hahn, a grandmother from Shelby County.
It is one of three works she has completed over the past few years since taking up the craft a few years ago, Chaffin said.
Chaffin, 62, has been a professional sculptor for decades. He has been commissioned to do bronze sculptures in his native California, New York and Birmingham. His work includes eight-foot bronze statues of UAB's second and third presidents, S. Richardson Hill and Charles "Scotty" McCallum, in UAB Mini Park on University Boulevard.
nation's few wooden carousel animal carving school
ReplyDeleteCarving school is one of nation's few
Saturday, September 26, 2009
ROY L. WILLIAMS
News staff writer
Five Points South has become home to one of the few carousel carving schools in the nation.
Birmingham's Ira Chaffin, a professional bronze sculptor who took up wood carving as a hobby eight years ago, on Friday opened Chaffin Carousel Carving School.
The school, located above Dave's Pub at 1124 20th St. South, is based on the carving teachings Chaffin learned from Bud Ellis, owner of Horsin' Around Carving School in Chattanooga.
Chaffin said he has taught wood carving to students at Pelham's Woodcraft store for years, and decided to start his own school so he could have more studio space.
Besides teaching both novices and experienced crafters how to chip animals out of wood, Chaffin uses one-third of the carving school as storage space for his bronze sculpturing pieces.
"All wood carvers are welcome here, whether you want to make carousel animals or not," Chaffin said. "I have students who have carved Indian head portraits, decorative walking sticks and ducks."
Chaffin's school contains dozens of his students' works, either finished or in process. One piece on display is a Greek mythical creature called a hippogriff, a combination of horse and griffin carved by Jean Hahn, a grandmother from Shelby County.
It is one of three works she has completed over the past few years since taking up the craft a few years ago, Chaffin said.
Chaffin, 62, has been a professional sculptor for decades. He has been commissioned to do bronze sculptures in his native California, New York and Birmingham. His work includes eight-foot bronze statues of UAB's second and third presidents, S. Richardson Hill and Charles "Scotty" McCallum, in UAB Mini Park on University Boulevard.