Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons: Understanding, Designing, and Carving Romantic Heirlooms ("Woodcarving Illustrated" Book)
I started out with the idea of comparing David Western's Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons to Carving Spoons by Shirley Adler, since Matt Kelly had told me there had not been a review of Adler's book in WOM.  Both are published by Fox Chapel, which would seem to put them at odds with each other.  Such is not the case, however;  all I can say about David Western's book is "Wow, this is over-the-top spoon carving." I think Adler's book is best for introducing love spoons to carvers and deserves a review on its own.  She will take a carver from beginner to advanced spoon forms. David Western was born in Cardiff, Wales and now resides in Victoria,  British Columbia.  Trained at the London College of Furniture, he has certifications in cabinet making and advanced furniture design.  He now carves custom spoons for his livelihood, specializing in Celtic Knotwork designs.  He draws ideas from Art Deco, Northwest Coast First Nations, and Islamic Art forms to create his delicate one-piece spoons. Contents Preface Introduction Part One: Lovespoons then and now Historical Perspective  Myths and Meanings    Lovespoons today  Part Two: The Basics         Wood  Tools  Sharpening  Technique  Finishing  Part Three: Lovespoon Carving Novice  Intermediate  Advanced  Part Four: Designs and Patterns Designing a Lovespoon  Patterns  Sources    The Preface carries the stamp of approval from Dr Emma Lile, Curator of St. Fagan's Natural History Museum, in Cardiff, Wales, home of the oldest know lovespoons in this form. The Introduction reveals Western's passion for creativity and his desire to replace some of the banal plasticity of our society with the warmth of handcarved woods. Part One plunges you into a wealth of historical material with displays of ancient spoons from St. Fagan's in Western's native Wales and shows the depth of research into the historical meanings and symbology of these spoons, as well as references to other collections,  and how they can be applied into modern spoons. Part Two is all about the basics of carving, woods to use, tools and of course, sharpening, but the Wood !!  David uses spectacular, highly figured maple, red alder, walnut, and cherry.  In a craft where we tend to use woods with little or no grain showing, Western is carving in a Technicolor of flaming, swirling, and spalted figures that dazzle the eye.  Techniques include chipcarving, ball-in-cage, chain links, and scrollsaw work for the pierced elements.   With such delicate work, a highly important section on mistakes and repairs is appreciated.  Finishing relies on Watco Danish Oil to bring out the fire in his pieces and beeswax polish to protect them. Part Three begins Western's step-by-step series of spoon carving with beginner, intermediate and advanced spoon designs.  The beginner spoon contains a number of traditional elements but will require a scroll saw to cut out the several pierced areas. The intermediate spoon introduces natural looking leaves combined with Celtic Knotwork and hearts.  The advanced spoon has multiple balls-in-a-cage and chain links with hearts. Part Four is about designing spoons and patterns and the teacher in David shows in his encouragement for people to tap into their own creativity.  He shows that even the doodles of an uninhibited six year old can give form to the vague ideas of spoons that might be, and that it does not take great artwork to create new ideas. This is a wonderful book that will take spoon carvers to new heights.  Most of the illustrations of spoons note their dimensions and  wood types and a gallery of his contemporaries work is included.  Buy the book!David Western is something of an expert when it comes to carving lovespoons, so it is of interest to see that he has put pen to paper and gathered his knowledge to share his passion for this centuries' old art. The carved lovespoon has long been regarded as a symbol of love and devotion but has come to represent more of a presentation gift in today's modern world. Whichever way we look at this wooden spoon, none can argue its appeal to carvers for its decorative nature and exploration of skill. David explores in interesting detail the history behind the lovespoon and how it has evolved today with beautiful photographic examples from carvers past and present, before moving on to educate the reader on understanding wood, tools of the trade and sharpening. Once these have been digested, we are taken through a course of technical know-how before advancing on to projects, designs and patterns for you to adapt. Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons is truly a great resource packed full of everything you need to know surrounding the legend of the lovespoon, and how to carve and develop them to your own style.Written by a trained cabinetmaker who has spent the past two decades carving professionally, Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons is an entertaining guide to designing and creating beautiful gifts and keepsakes. Using step-by-step instructions, author David Western tells readers how to select wood, sharpen tools, hollow out the spoon's bowl, carve intricate handles, apply a long-lasting finish, and more. In addition to three detailed projects that provide all the fundamentals carvers need to get started, Western offers a detailed study of the lovespoon's history, symbolism, and evolution, which has been commended by the curator of the St. Fagan's Natural History Museum in Wales, the country where lovespoons orginated.See audio clip for full interviewLocal artisan and furniture builder David Western marked a new milestone in 2008 with the release of his book, The Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons - a unique gift idea with Valentine's Day just around the corner. For 20 years, Western has been creating beautiful, intricate Welsh lovespoons, traditionally crafted from a single piece of wood by a man trying to demonstrate his devotion to his beloved. In this book, from Fox Chapel Publishing, "20 years of lovespoon carving experience has been distilled into a book which I think is the most complete look at lovespoons and lovespoon carving currently available," Western says.This book is well done. The pictures are beautiful and the directions for the projects are easy to understand. This would be a very good book for the carver in your family to learn to do an interesting project that could be given away to friends or kept as a family heirloom.As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 147 The lovespoon is believed to have originated from the simple soup spoon. Just why anyone got the idea of converting such a plain and utilitarian item into an article of dedication and devotion, is hard to say.  Yet the process appears to have occurred in several countries, for the Scandinavians, Europeans, Africans and (most famously) the Welsh, all have the tradition of carving lovespoons as a token of love and affection.  The lovespoon is made from a single piece of wood and although it may be so richly decorated as to no longer be able to serve as a spoon, the spoon shape is essential to its design.  David Western, the author of this book, sees lovespoon carving as 'a vibrant and exciting art form, not only because of its beautiful carvings, but also because of its rich tradition and its relevance to modern times'.  David begins his book with what he terms an Historical Perspective, tracing the history of the lovespoon and indicating how the student may gain further insights into their design.  Chapter 2 explores Myths and Meanings - the symbology of lovespoons - while Chapter 3 presents a wide range of examples of the lovespoons being made today.  Chapters 4 to 8 cover the basics of the art, from selection of wood and the choice and care of tools, to the kinds of finishing generally used.  The next three Chapters provide step by step instructions for carving several lovespoons, from novice through to advanced.  Chapter 12 offers advice on design, while the last Chapter contains patterns for 16 Lovespoons, each with photo/s, a line drawing and description.  Lovespoon carving is clearly challenging, but as the many generations of lovespoon carvers would no doubt agree, it is also rewarding. About the Author: David Western constantly endeavors to expand the artistic boundaries of lovespoon carving. David was born in Cardiff, Wales, and now resides in Victoria, B.C., Canada. A self-taught carver, David graduated from the London College of Furniture with certification in cabinetmaking and advanced furniture design. He also holds a degree in education from the Llniversity of British Columbia. While running a cabinetmaking shop in Victoria, David's casual interest in Welsh lovespoons grew into an overwhelming passion. Carving lovespoons to order is now his liveIihood. David also teaches lovespoon carving at Camosun College in Victoria. David specializes in complicated and delicate Celtic knotwork. He also draws ideas from Art Deco, Northwest Coast First Nations, and Islamic art forms when creating his unique designs. He keeps a foot firmly in tradition though: each of his spoons is handcarved from a single piece of wood. All of David's spoons also demonstrate the deep passion and commitment that separate genuine lovespoons from mere souvenirs.I've got a lot of wooden spoons in my kitchen, and I can assure you not one of them bears the slightest resemblance to what David Western carves. His are spoons in name only. A far more accurate description would be "intricate portable carved wooden art," but for Dave, they are even more than that. For him, they encompass history, tradition, romance, and perhaps most important of all, Welsh pride.    "I was born in Cardiff, Wales," Dave recounted when I asked him about his woodworking past, "and my family emigrated to Canada when I was a kid. I never really did any woodworking until high school, where I had a really good shop teacher who got me fired up about cabinetmaking. While I was in university, I worked for a cabinetmaker during the summers and a kitchen cabinet shop during the year.  "After college, I went to Europe to travel and discovered the London College of Furniture. I took an accelerated course because I already had woodworking experience, and a year later emerged with a 'City and Guilds accreditation in cabinetmaking.' I came back to Canada and started my own cabinetmaking shop, but a few years later went to work with a friend's company. I wanted to get my journeyman's papers, which helped get union jobs, and tested out of the coursework by simply passing the final exam.  "Back when I was about 14, my family went to Wales, where I first came across love spoons. For many years, I would occasionally make one. About 10 years ago I started researching love spoons and got into them seriously. The more I delved into it, the more passionate I got about them. For me, they represented a connection to my roots and allowed me to celebrate my Welsh pride. About three years ago, I gave up cabinetmaking entirely to concentrate full-time on spoons.  "What I hope to do with these is to create a portable piece of art that the owners can connect with because it has personal relevance to them. Originally, the love spoon was carved by a young peasant man for a young rural woman who caught his eye. There were two reasons: one was to indicate that he was smitten, and the other was to show off his skill. In those days, that was a fairly significant skill to have. The ability to work with your hands was important back in the 17th century, when this craft originated. By the early to mid 19th century, the finest examples of the craft emerged. One thing I learned while writing my book about love spoons is that many other cultures, including Hungary, Italy, Romania, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway, all had similar traditions.  "The tradition waned around the period of the first World War, but revived somewhat in the 1950s. At that point, many realized they could work faster using power tools, and the spoons started being sold as souvenirs. On the one hand, it is sad to see how they have cheapened, and for me and others in Wales who still do it as a handcraft, seeing that sort of tawdry development is sad. However, on the positive side, it does keep the tradition alive. "I try to make each spoon a little piece of art, so that it has feeling and an emotional quality as well as a visual and technical excellence. I don't want mechanized purity, but I do care about quality of execution. I want each spoon I make to be as good as I can do at that point. Of course, I cringe at times when I look back at 10-year-old pieces, but that is part of growing as an artist.  "Even though they may often be very subtle, the bowl is a very critical element to me. During my research on their history, I noticed that no matter how crude the spoon carving was, a tremendous amount of effort was put into the spoon bowl. They were smooth, thin and delicate, unlike the current run of souvenir spoons, which tend to have thick, clunky bowls. To my mind, no matter how nice the handle design is, the delicacy of the bowl is critical.  "A number of years ago, I put up a website. Prior to that, I was making them only for friends and relatives, and my business was all word-of-mouth. Since then, I have started getting complete strangers contacting me. Originally, most of my business came from Britain, but a few years ago an article in a national Canadian newspaper gave me a good bit of exposure. About the same time, people from the United States started discovering me, and these days about 70 percent of my business comes from there. The vast majority of my customers have no Welsh background; they are simply intrigued by the spoons."  Some spoons can be very intriguing indeed, such as the one that ended up in the Museum of Wales. I asked David to tell me the story behind it. "It tells the tale of Taliesin," he explained, "a young man who was a servant to a witch. She had a hideously ugly and stupid son, so she brewed a potion to give him ultimate strength, knowledge and beauty, represented on the spoon by three heads. Instead, the servant drank it, and he got all these powers.  "Angry, she came after him, so he turned himself into a rabbit and ran away. She then turned into a greyhound to chase him. Just before she caught him, he turned into a salmon and went into a stream, and she turned into an otter to give chase. He turned into a bird, and she turned into a hawk. Finally, he turned into a grain of wheat, so she turned into a hen and swallowed him. He then turned into a baby inside her, and when she had the baby, and it was so beautiful she couldn't bear to kill it, so she put him in a boat out to sea, where he was rescued by a neighboring king. He was named Taliesin, which in Welsh means 'fair brow,' and he went on to become Wales' most famous bard and a mythic hero. Intricately carved into the spoon are all of the images from the story." "About two or three years ago, I started teaching spoon carving at a local college, and that inspired me to write a book on the subject. Carving spoons takes very few tools. Other than using a scrollsaw to rough out the main shape, I carve using a tiny straight knife, a few small wood chisels, a flexible knife, and North American Native style bent knives. It's almost all hand and knife work. My workspace is basically a chair in front of a two-foot-deep counter about three feet wide."  David is quick to suggest that others should try their hands at his favorite work. "As fellow Welsh spoon carver Alun Davies said, 'A spoon is not a love spoon unless it is made with love: love for the tradition, love of the wood, and love for the person the spoon will be given to.' If you have a romantic occasion coming up and you are at all handy with tools," he advised, "this is an occupation that can give both you and the recipient a great deal of pleasure."It is with great pride and pleasure that we feature the work of David Western in this post. He is a lovespoon carver from Cardiff, currently residing in Vancouver B.C., and has just published a book on the art of creating the lovespoon, Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons: Understanding, Designing and Creati..., Fox Chapel Publishing (October 1, 2008). Pictures of some of his beautiful work are on our Pictures tab and can be seen below:   Find more photos like this on Americymru Just the thing for St. Dwynwyn's Day or, if you must, St Valentines, or even Christmas for that special someone. You can contact David or leave him comments on his Americymru page here. David's website gives his bio: "I was born in Cardiff, Wales but now live in Victoria, BC, Canada. A graduate of the University of British Columbia and a cabinetmaker by trade, I hold City and Guilds Certification in both cabinet making and furniture design from the UK and Canadian Inter-provincial Certification in joinery. I have been carving for over 20 years; my spoons are found in collections throughout the world. "My lovespoons are carved entirely by hand using only domestic North American woods. I feel our native timbers easily rival any tropical hardwood for beauty and colouration. Using sustainable, easily grown lumber such as alder and maple allows me to avoid contributing toward the denuding of tropical rain forests. "Lovespoon carving is my passion. I constantly strive to expand the boundaries of design while creating unique and innovative carvings which respect and honour the tradition of the Welsh lovespoon. My lovespoons are not souvenir trinkets; they are art which also celebrates both my client's personal stories and my hard-earned skills as a craftsman and designer. I believe the romantic, thoughtful, hand-crafted lovespoon still has an important role to play in our increasingly sterile and pre-fabricated society. My goal is to continue the tradition of the lovespoon while introducing it to as wide an audience as possible both within and beyond the Welsh community."The love spoon has been in existence for centuries. Many cultures have used the love spoon to commemorate special occasions such as upcoming weddings. The author has given the reader many pages on the understanding of woods and how to carve the love spoon with grain changes in the wood. He also goes into great detail about the tools one should use and how to keep the tools sharp. There are three projects in the book. The first project is for the beginning carver, the second project is for the intermediate carver and the last project is for the advanced carver. The author goes into great detail and has given the reader many prictures to show how to carve each project. The gallery of love spoons is interesting. Some spoons are intricate and others are very plain showing the value of the wood. The author shows the reader how to finish the wood to bring out the value of the wood. He also gives advice on how to hide mistakes. This book contains 185 pages and is well done. The pictures are beautiful and the directions for the projects are easy to understand. This would be a very good book for the carver in your family to learn to do an interesting project that could be given away to friends or kept as a family heirloom.Fine art of carving lovespoons; understanding, designing, and carving romantic heirlooms. Western, David. Photographs by Chris Roberts. Fox Chapel Publishing,  2009    185 p.    $24.95    TT199978-1-56523-374-4 Particularly in Wales, where Western is from, but also throughout the Celtic world generally and in other countries as well, there is a long tradition of young men carving elaborate spoons for their sweethearts, presumably an elaboration of demonstrating that he could and would carve practical spoons and other implements for his future family. Now based in British Columbia, Western has turned from cabinet and furniture maker to artist. He explains and colorfully illustrates the history of the art, the wood, the tools, techniques from novice to advanced, and design. He also provides patterns. (Annotation  2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)This book is brilliant. It is both a "how-to" book and an overview of what love spoons are and their origins.  The examples and patterns in the book are perfect for the carvers at all levels.  Dave teaches simple carving techniques that build your skills but that can apply to any type of carving not just love spoons. It is fun and makes you want to practice.  Having taken a class myself from Dave, here in Victoria, I know that the techniques he presents in the book are what he actually teaches his students.  Dave Western is a true craftsman, incredibly talented artist, and a superb teacher. This book is so worth it.  Good on you Dave.Initially stimulated by his casual interest in Welsh lovespoons, selftaught craftsman David Western now teaches lovespoon carving at Camosun College and makes his living primarily by carving lovespoons to order. His Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons is a guide to the enduring craft of presenting ornate spoons as a token of affection. In addition to three step-bystep projects that provide all the fundamentals artists need to get started, Western offers a detailed study of the lovespoon.s history, symbolism and evolution. Western specializes in Celtic knotwork, but also incorporates Islamic, Art Deco and Northwest Coast First Nations art forms. Photography of modern-day and ancient lovespoons is provided with the text. His book has been commended by the curator of the St. Fagan.s Natural History Museum in Wales, reputedly the origin of the lovespoon.Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons not only gives you the lowdown on carving but it also tells the history, and myths and meanings behind lovespoons. Once you've read about the basics including the types of wood, tools, sharpening, techniques and finishing, the author provides step-by-step instruction (accompanied by helpful photos) for carving novice, intermediate and advanced lovespoons. Also included is candid information on design and 15 different patterns for you to use or adapt. And this book is full of great photos!  Fine Art of Carving Lovespoons seems to have all the information you need to get started in carving your own lovespoon.Learn to create beautiful lovespoons-hand-carved symbols of love and deep affection that have been popular for centuries. With 3 step-by-step projects and 15 original patterns, this book will help you to enjoy this wonderful craft no matter what your carving skill level.Particularly in Wales, where Western is from, but also throughout the Celtic world generally and in other countries as well, there is a long tradition of young men carving elaborate spoons for their sweethearts, presumably an elaboration of demonstrating that he could and would carve practical spoons and other implements for his future family. Now based in British Columbia, Western has turned from cabinet and furniture maker to artist. He explains and colorfully illustrates the history of the art, the wood, the tools, techniques from novice to advanced, and design. He also provides patterns.'Superb'Across northern and eastern Europe and parts of Africa, a richly symbolic and highly personal decorative art form has evolved over the past four centuries: the art of carving lovespoons. Most often imbued with details representing love or romantic intentions, lovespoons have varied greatly in design and degree of complexity, depending on the emotional intent, cultural background, creativity and carving skills of the maker. In the past several decades, lovespoons have enjoyed a resurgence of popularity and a corresponding increase in their symbolic and expressive vocabulary.       In this book, the author, David Western, a Welshman now living in Victoria, BC, Canada, presents a clear, beautifully illustrated and photographed, step-by-step guide to the history, design and carving of lovespoons. Photographer Chris Roberts' luscious photographs make this book a feast for the eyes as well.       Western begins with a photographic tour of lovespoons throughout history, followed by a fabulous gallery of current work that includes several pages of his own masterpieces. From there on, it becomes a how-to book, pitched at a level an avid beginner can follow. He walks us through the relevant properties of various kinds of woods, how they move, the importance of grain direction, and all the subtleties that carvers need to know when attempting such delicate and complicated cuts as a Celtic knot.       Chapters on tools and sharpening follow, again clearly photographed and quite thoroughly explicated. The tool chapter shows the complete range of carving knives, chisels and other gear -- including power tools such as the bandsaw, drill press and Dremel tools -- that you'll want in your arsenal if you plan to carve your own lovespoons. The sharpening chapter is an illuminating tutorial on the hows and whys of sharpening and all the paraphrenalia you'll need to keep your tools in top condition for an effective and successful carving experience. Next comes a practice chapter called "Technique," in which Western shows the basic types of cuts and motifs used in lovespoons and how they are made, including types of borders, curves, lettering, chain links, swivels, and the spoon bowl itself. Knowing well that his students will make mistakes, he devotes six pages to fixing the most common ones.       After an excellent discussion of finishing materials, techniques, whys and wherefores, Western walks the reader through three complete lovespoon projects, "novice," intermediate and advanced. These may look difficult at first glance, but with Western's thorough instructions, I believe that any ambitious craftsman could accomplish them.  The final chapters of the book include a worthy tutorial on the process of designing lovespoons followed by line drawings and photos of 15 varied lovespoon projects, ready to enlarge to actual size with a copy machine and get right to work, using all the knowledge and experience you've gained by reading this far. It is a very nicely thought-out progression from beginning to end.