Wooden wonders woven into weekend

The Calusa club will have a show and sale in Hudson.

By Barbara L. Fredricksen, Arts and Entertainment
Published February 29, 2008

Larry Tackman created this Carolina wren.
	[Photo by E. Jane Wentworth]

ADVERTISEMENT Larry Tackman specializes in carving songbirds and hawks. [Photo by E. Jane Wentworth] A cardinal by Tackman looks lifelike. The artisan prefers tupelo wood and makes his own patterns and cutouts.

Visitors to the 27th annual Calusa Wood Carvers Club show and sale may think they're seeing live birds and forest creatures perched on tables as they wander around the Veterans Memorial Park building Saturday and Sunday.

In fact, the animals, elves, sea creatures and other objects are carved from wood, the product of thousands of hours of meticulous work by carvers from all over the United States and Canada.

"I've been a woodcarver for 13 years, ever since I went to a woodcarvers show," said Jane Went-worth, treasurer of the local group. "My husband wants to send me to Wood-aholics Anonymous to dry out. That's all I do."

She organizes classes and recruits master carvers to teach local enthusiasts. The 90 to 100 members of Calusa Wood Carvers come from west Pasco, Land O'Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Bradenton and Spring Hill to meet, learn and practice carving techniques.

One such member is Larry Tackman, a native of Michigan who now lives in Spring Hill.

Tackman has a drawer full of ribbons and awards for his creations collected from the time he joined his first woodcarving group in Saginaw, Mich., decades ago.

"Larry enjoys carving songbirds and hawks," Ms. Wentworth said. He prefers tupelo wood and makes his own patterns and cutouts, using copper wire and acrylic paints to finish his work.

"He sells most of his carvings before they are even finished," Ms. Wentworth said.

In addition to the woodcarvers' work, several vendors will sell "anything wood related: tools, wood, bases, blanks," Ms. Went-worth said.

Club members have donated carvings that will be given out as door prizes every 30 minutes during the two-day event.

Many of the carvings will be for sale at prices ranging from $5 to $3,000 or more, Ms. Wentworth said.

Check it out

Calusa Woodcarvers

What: Annual show and sale.

Where: Veterans Memorial Park, 14333 Hicks Road, Hudson (from U.S. 19, go east on New York Avenue 3 miles, curve right onto Hicks Road).

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $3.

[Last modified February 28, 2008, 20:21:28]