Wooden Spoon Carving */**

Teacher: William Torlot

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William is originally from England but has been living in the Alps (currently in Austria) for more than 30 years. Thanks to his partner from Viljandi, he is a regular and enthusiastic visitor to Estonia. For over a decade, woodwork, particularly using green- or freshly cut wood, has been his creative escape from a desk job in an office. What started as a hobby has steadily become more serious, culminating in the recent completion of a three year Master course in Traditional Estonian Woodworking with Master Craftsman Meelis Kihulane (another tutor at the Craft Camp). In the last few years he has led spoon carving workshops in England, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Estonia.

The humble spoon is easily taken for granted, yet it is an extraordinary example of form and function - elegant simplicity sculpted into an everyday object we could hardly do without.

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As well as making more traditional spoons, William enjoys exploring the structure of the wood at hand and using the natural grain to influence the final outcome. Carving a spoon by hand is an ideal way to appreciate this beautiful natural material and develop and hone skills with simple hand tools such as the axe, knife, and hollowing tools like gouges and hook knives.

The aim of the workshop will be to make at least one spoon, starting from a log of freshly cut wood. From start to finish, the participants will be guided through the main processes using traditional hand tools, splitting and shaping the wood and hollowing the bowl of the spoon. Some simple decoration techniques will also be covered, such as chip carving and kolrosing. As well as making your own spoon(s) to take home, you’ll learn about maintenance and sharpening of tools and how to source greenwood to continue the joy of spoon-carving after the course.

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Students do not need any previous experience for this course. For more experienced participants, there is the possibility of making a more complex shape (for example, a small ladle, a spoon with an integrated ring, or a matching pair of salad servers). All tools and materials are included in the participation fee. Students who wish to bring their own tools may do so. The course is suitable for beginners and intermediate level participants.

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