Wood artist to share skills
When artist Ken Tynan graduated from Butler High School in 1978, he set off for Iowa with a paintbrush in hand.
Returning to Butler last month, Tynan came bearing chainsaws and chisels.
The woodcarver will use those tools to host a workshop March 24 and 25 at the Associated Artists of Butler County Art Center.
"They are calling the workshop 'Wood, Spirits, Wizards or Whatever' — which does basically capture the theme," explained Tynan.
"What I will be demonstrating is the woodcarving techniques used to fashion a face into a piece of cottonwood bark."
The size of the pieces will vary, but they will be able to hang on a wall for display, Tynan said. Subject matter also can be changed to accommodate students' wishes.
"If someone comes to the class and would rather craft a bear in the cottonwood, I'll show them how to do that, too,"he said.
Tynan said while knowledge of chisels or carving tools will be helpful in the workshop, the desire to learn can also lead to a successful class experience.
The workshop will consist of 12 hours of instruction. The cottonwood for the sculptures will be supplied, but participants need to bring their own palm-carving tools, said Val Dallos, exhibit coordinator at the Art Center.
"We are excited to have Ken back here and to have him share his craft with us," Dallos said.
"We are fortunate that Ken comes back every year" for the annual Ridgeway Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous, she added.
"He has both sculptures and murals in the area, but will be focusing on smaller carvings for this workshop."
Before he began carving, Tynan worked as a mural and billboard painter.
"When billboards started to go digital, the need for painters began to fall off," he explained. "While pondering which direction I should go, I found myself wandering around the Iowa State Fair in 2000. I came across a woodcarving booth and asked the guy manning the booth about it," he said.
"I took a few classes from him and learned about the tools, and then the next year I entered the fair and beat him in a contest," he explained.
These days, Tynan is most noted for his chainsaw carving, done on tree trunks up to 25 feet tall.
While a variety of chainsaws are used in his mammoth carvings, the finishing touches of the sculptures are generally done by intricate hand carving, the focus of the upcoming workshop.
Primarily self-taught, Tynan frequently holds workshops to further the interest in the craft. "It is awesome when someone connects with the wood and enjoys what they are doing," Tynan said.
He said people will be able to leave with one or two projects from the weekend, depending on their skill level and speed.
"People will definitely leave with a further knowledge of what goes into carving," he said.
<B>WHAT: </B>"Wood, Spirits, Wizards or Whatever" weekend woodcarving workshop by Iowa artist Ken Tynan<B>WHEN: </B>9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. March 24 and March 25<B>WHERE: </B>Associated Artists of Butler County, 344 S. Main St.<B>INFORMATION: </B>724-287-0285 or 515-710-0488<B>COST: </B>$100 for AABC members and $125 for non-members. Light refreshments will be served, and the class size is limited. To reserve a space, send a check for $50 payable to the AABC with "KT Wood" in the memo to AABC, 344 S. Main Street, Butler PA 16001.
