Due to low enrolment this class has been canceled for the summer. I'm currently creating a mailing list of those individuals who are interested in attending this class. If you're interested in being contacted when the next session is offered please contact me.

Phone: 416 347 7758

Email: ShaneClodd@sympatico.ca

Course Description:

16 years and up COST: $ 160 Capacity: 10

Learn to express your hidden creativity through the art of powercarving. This course covers the basic use of the tools and techniques of woodcarving while encouraging students to draw from their imagination or past experiences in order to create original work of art on wooden surfaces. Technical and conceptual aspects of the art of woodcarving will be discussed and demonstrated at the beginning of each class. Additional cost for materials included in the fee. The instructor will provide some tools and equipment.

Classes are based at the McKay Art Centre.
(8 weeks, 20 hours)
Wed. June 12 - Wed. 31 July 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Instructor: Shane Clodd

The Peace Pole

Corpust Cristy, a Catholic elementary school located in Richmond Hill, commissioned Shane Clodd to provide a carving workshop to grade seven and eight students for the purpose of creating a Peace Pole, a component of a larger project, the peace garden, to celebrate World Youth Day.

How was it done?

For a carving of this size approximately 10' long only eight students per day were allowed to participate due to size restrictions and safety concerns. The students who were interested in participating were drawn at random. On the first day eight grades eights carved the French text on one side of the Peace Pole, while eight grade sevens carved the English text on the opposite side of the pole.

At the beginning of each class the basic use of the tools and carving techniques were demonstrated and discussed. All the characters to be carved were pre-drawn on the pole to ensure that the carving could commence as soon as class began. The 10' long cedar fence post used as the Peace Pole was supplied by Corpus Cristy and all tools and equipment were supplied by the artist. Once the carving workshop had concluded the Peace Pole was removed from the school and taken back to the artist's studio for the finishing touches. The pole was returned a day later completed and was later installed that week ready for the grand opening of the Peace Garden.

Contact the artist to discuss a carving project tailored to the specific needs of your elementary or high school. Have a quick look at another artwork created by High School students at Dunbarton High School in Pickering. These works were carved from recycled hydro poles.

Click here to see images of the finished work at Dunbarton High School

Click here to read a newspaper article regarding the project which took place at Dunbarton High School.