The Illawarra Woodworkers Group Inc.
Bill Hopton
The Illawarra Woodworkers Group Inc. |
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I started carving after I finished playing Rugby. I was looking for a hobby or pastime to fill the void when the body said "that's enough abuse for this lifetime." The thought of bashing large gouges with even larger mallets into bits of timber sounded like fun. It wasn't till I was half way through my second carving that I realised that carving is about 5% physical effort in roughing out and the rest of the time is spent carving the intricate fiddley bits. By that time it was too late I was hooked and as they say the rest is history.
A Mother and her CalfThis carving used a design of Ian Norburys from the English Practical Woodworker. It is carved in Kalantis. This carving made as a gift for my parents.
Pre-School shieldThis was my first commission. A friend asked me to make a sign for his pre-school. After a bit of probing I found that he had a line drawing of a koala and cockatoo which he was using as a letter head. With a bit of scaling and artistic licence the shield was made. The shield was carved from white Beech and is approx 600mm x 450mm.
My ChairThis chair, or rather this design, has become a bit of a favorite of mine. It is based on plans obtained from ARBORTEC, but has been slightly modified to improve its strength. I made one as a prize for the clubs' annual raffle, that was three years ago and I'm about to start my fourth for next years raffle.Yes it is made of plywood - in fact it is made from one 8x4 sheet of CD grade 12 mm ply. 
Frill Necked LizardThis was my first proper carving. I completed this project whilst taking carving classes from Enn Muller. It is a probably my favorite carving - I think you always have a soft spot for your early works. It is carved in Camphor Laurel and stands approx 250mm.
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As you would expect, all text and images are Copyrighted by the Author Bill Hopton
Last Update 6th August 2001