This beginning carving class will dive deep into the art of the traditional acanthus leaf, seen so often in historical architecture, furniture and design. Mary will begin by demonstrating the basics of woodcarving, cover grain direction, safety, and how to properly use long-handled, traditional woodcarving tools. Mary has worked with several master carvers from around the world and loves the process of using only mallets and gouges to achieve a crisp, beautiful design. She will go through the process of sharpening the gouges to a razor-sharp edge using the hand techniques that have been used for centuries. Class time will be spent studying, drawing, and carving a variety of different historical acanthus leaf designs, with each project building on and growing knowledge, design and carving techniques. If time permits, students will be allowed to design and carve their own acanthus leaf based on what they have learned during the class. Mary will demonstrate tricks and techniques for making the carvings appear deeper than they are, how to work with overlapping elements, and how to walk through an entire carving project from start to finish.