Spoon Carving: A Mystical Art
Splitting wood can bring back memories of back aches and morning chores.
Though wood splitter and spoon carving master Adam Weaver enjoys the more artistic side that wood carving offers.
“I had seen that my grandfather had been doing it (wood carving) for a long time he had made the immaculate wood birds and I was extremely inspired by that.” Weaver said.
Weaver is hosting a course, Zen and the Mystical Art of Spoon Carving, at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design.
He hopes to bring his students through a seven-week process of learning about the science of wood, as well as crafting techniques.
“Such as kolrosing which is the art of creating designs in the wood using a special blade and putting coal, or in our case, coffee grounds, in the grooves.” Weaver said.
When picturing a spoon, much less one made of wood, the mind doesn’t think art.
Though many of Weavers new students have found their interests piqued at the idea of such a utilitarian object.
“I just love wood in general its more ethical way of making things,” said Audrey Arsenault, one of Weaver’s students.. ” I just wanted to learn how to carve spoons.”
Students throughout the course will learn to make spoons, of course, spatula, bowls, and Kuksas.
Kuksas are traditional Scandinavian drinking cups that traces their history back to the indigenous people of Scandinavia.
“I just hope that people come to really see the beauty in hand made goods, lost crafts,” said Weaver. “these crafts that have been forgotten over time.”
