Judging and competitions

     Is it just me or does judging at events seem to be a hit or miss thing? I have seen blue ribbon winners at one event fail to even place in another. I am not one to be hung up on ribbons. Rather I am interested in improving. Without feedback, the only thing to rely on is the competition that beat you.
     I have had entries that did not win at one competition, then win big at others. What gives? 
     I wish there was some sort of clearinghouse for judges, a place where those who wish to be judges could get consistent and thorough training to be qualified judges. This is the same complaint I have heard from competitors in all part of the country I have traveled to, or discussed with on Facebook or email. 
     Some years ago, a group of carvers got together and talked about hosting some judge training in the Pacific northwest. I received some materials in the forms of judges books, but if what I received was from this group, it needs to be more fleshed out.
     I know as a competitor, I want to improve my skills. To do so, I (and others) need consistent feedback on how to get better. We need judges who can distinguish between carved items and plastic ones, between how scales on fish or snakes are supposed to run, whether colors are correct on animals, what a caricature actually is, and a variety of other distinguishing characteristics. I know as president of the Idaho Woodcarvers Guild, and past president of the Idaho Artistry in Wood, that finding judges is not necessarily easy, since you have to find someone willing, who is competent enough to know what is supposed to be there and what isn't. We have been lucky to have highly respected judges at the Idaho Artistry in Wood competition, ones who are experts in their field, are qualified to weigh in on the carvings they are judging, and are darn good people to spend time with. Those include Vic Otto, Gene Fuller, Ted Smith, Larry Crist, Doug Harrison, Ryan Olsen, just to name a few in recent history. These guys know what they are doing and are highly respected as carvers themselves.
     I don't mean to complain, but I have heard from dozens of competitors who get no feedback from judges, cannot understand why an entry receives different places in different events, and are mystified by the whole process. Everyone says "It is just the judges". But I personally feel we could do better as an art form. When the whims of different judges is allowed to cloud the issue, and their personal preferences takes precedence over the merits of the entries, something needs to be addressed.
    
     WHEW!!! Now that I got that off my chest, let's get on to better things. The Idaho Woodcarvers Guild will be demonstrating at the Western Idaho Fair in August. If you are in the area during those times, stop by and say hello. We would love to see you come out and spend some time with us. Plus some of us will have entries in the carving competitions at the Fair. Maybe it is just county and state fairs where the judging is arbitrary. I know in talking to the supervisor of the carving competitions, it is always a chore to get judges. 
     I am going to enter a few new carvings at the Fair. Probably a walking stick, a new woodburning, and maybe a relief. We shall see what I can finish by then. I did finish a few busts and have a cowboy scene I might enter. Wish me luck.
     Thanks for listening.
 

Busy summer?!

     It seems that every summer comes before I am ready for it, along with the list of things I need to get done during the summer. But then, by the time summer comes around, after a long school year, I certainly am ready for some down time.
     So, I get busy with the honey-do projects, the carvings, the relaxing times, the vacation, the reflections I do to prepare for a new school year. Every year, at the end of the school year, I think over what took place in the year, decide what I want to change, and what I want to keep. 
     Then I get the house projects done, and start carving. This summer, I have not carved as much as I wanted to, but I did put some carvings in a shop in Idaho City, at a place called the Idaho City Trading Post. So far, only a bottlestopper has been sold. Not as successful as I had hoped to be, but maybe it will pick up. I put in an application to be a vendor at the Christmas Show at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds, on December 5, 6 and 7. Hopefully I will be more successful at that event.
     Here are a few things I have carved this past few weeks.

I carved these baseball player busts as practice pieces for a set of busts I want to do. They are fun to carve, with unlimited possibilities for commissions.

Here is another of my fat-bellied cowboys. Still working to get them perfect. 

     I carved this alpenhorn blower from some pictures I found. My wife and I were both stationed in Germany, and enjoyed traveling to several countries. We enjoyed a great evening of entertainment in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in southern Germany, in the Alps, listening to local singing and entertainment. This horn blower was similar to one we saw that night.

Soon enough it will be time to go back to school. Hopefully, I can get ready for the Western Idaho Fair (August 15-24) and then the Christmas Show in December.
     Thanks for looking!