Revealing The Art Within

Bella Vista carvers find, share beauty in the wood

Photo courtesy John Brach Among the artworks made by members of the Bella Vista Woodcarvers Club are these sculptures by Don Effinger. The carvers will display and sell some of their creations at their first show in many years, Artistry in Wood, July 19 at Riordan Hall.
Photo courtesy John Brach Among the artworks made by members of the Bella Vista Woodcarvers Club are these sculptures by Don Effinger. The carvers will display and sell some of their creations at their first show in many years, Artistry in Wood, July 19 at Riordan Hall.

The first thing a visitor notices isn't the wood -- although the carvings are detailed, widely varied and often exquisite.

The first thing obvious about the Bella Vista Woodcarvers Club is the camaraderie.

FAQ

Bella Vista Woodcarvers:

‘Artistry in Wood’

WHEN — 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 19

WHERE — Riordan Hall in Bella Vista

COST — Free; some of the artworks will be for sale, and others will be given away as door prizes

INFO — Email John Brach at [email protected]

Don Hunt, a member for 18 years, is revered as a mentor to many in the club, other members say by way of introduction. He doesn't carve as much as he did before he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he admits -- only about 30 hours a week -- then hands the visitor a tiny carving, perhaps an inch long, that opens and closes like scissors. It's made from one piece of wood.

Hunt says he started carving after he saw the master artisans working at Silver Dollar City. He bought some tools and before too long, he was carving at the Branson, Mo., theme park himself. Asked to show off some of his favorite pieces, Hunt has included a cowboy, an Indian chief and a carousel horse, all remarkable for their detail, and a photo of a full-size, fully functional violin he created for his son.

Across the room, Wilson Scott Jr. -- an Air Force veteran from California known throughout the village as "Scotty," he says -- has brought a relief carving of a pelican and several small three-dimensional pieces -- including his first one, a scotty dog. He's only been carving a couple of years, he says.

"I get great encouragement," Scott says of his fellow woodcarvers. "They're always willing to help.

"We meet every Thursday, but there's more to it than that," he adds. "It's about 'How's the wife?' 'How are the grandkids?' It's almost like a family."

On this day, the club members have gathered at Riordan Hall just to talk about carving. They're preparing for the "Artistry in Wood" show scheduled for July 19, the first show the group has hosted in seven or eight years. The whole idea, they agree, is to encourage newcomers to try the art once known as "whittling."

That's how J.D. Jutte got started -- although he seems a little reluctant to say so. The Iowa transplant says he "always liked working with wood," and one day he just picked up a pocket knife and a leftover piece of two-by-four and started carving. The result didn't impress him. But after retiring to Bella Vista, carving "just seemed like the thing to do." Now, that first effort from some 40 years ago encourages him in contrast, he admits with a chuckle.

John Brach, the club's vice president and another relatively new carver, says he had a carving set as a child, but it wasn't until he'd retired to Bella Vista 11 years ago -- and met Dick Billmeyer -- that he returned to the pastime. Billmeyer, he says, just stayed after him to come and join in.

"I like making something out of nothing," Brach says of carving.

"It's the most relaxing job in the world," adds Billmeyer, a retired builder. "Just go carve."

President Don Lang says everybody can join the Bella Vista Woodcarvers Club, which currently has about 50 members, as long as they're willing to pay $10 a year, show up and get involved -- in not just the meetings and shows but public service projects like youth mentoring and recently carving more than 5o canes for veterans.

"We all become teachers after awhile," Billmeyer says. "You don't have to be an artist, though."

"But you'll see some of the best artists in the region at this show," Lang concludes.

NAN What's Up on 07/11/2014

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