Chasing the serpent......

It gives me great pleasure to announce this carving class with Jake Powning.
28th March to april1st 2011.....

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Learn how to carve Celtic and Norse knotworks. From historical inspiration at London museums to the actual drawing and carving of a knotwork panel in hardwood, this course is great for the discerning artisan. Whether you draw, paint, make knives, make boxes, or simply wish to learn how to carve the alluring patterns you have seen in Celtic and Viking age ornamentation, this course will bring your work to the next level.
During this five day course you will lay out and draw a knotwork, transfer your drawing onto a wooden panel, and then carve this panel into a finished product. We will start by examining Celtic and Norse ornamentation at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum.
You will be provided with a sharp set of carving tools and the textbook "Celtic Art - the Methods of Construction" to help you understand how to translate the patterns you see on artifacts to your sketchbook and then to your carving project.

Jake Powning has been studying and carving Celtic and Norse ornamentation for 18 years. He is a successful swordsmith, designer, and artist. He incorporates carving into many aspects of his professional work including carved wooden sword scabbards and hilts, and forms for cast bronze sword fittings and large sculptural details.
Jake trained as a painter and blacksmith as well as focusing on a study of Celtic and
comparative mythology at the Putney School, Vermont USA and at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Nova Scotia Canada. Jake studied painting under renowned American landscape painter Eric Aho before becoming passionately obsessed with the art and science of sword making. Through out his training as a painter and his profession as a sword smith Jake has explored and expanded his knowledge of Celtic and Norse knot-work ornamentation.

you can see examples of jake work on his website

www.powning.com/jake/home/j_homepg.shtml

The cost of this 5 day class is £550 This includes the book and a set of chistles which you will get to keep.
class dates are March 28th to April 1st 2011 and will take place at Bushfire forge in
welling Kent
A 50% deposit is required to book your place........
There will be a maximum number of 8 students on the class.
Please email or phone with any enquiries.....owen@owenbush.co.uk

I so live on the wrong side of the pond. Sounds great Jake!

I agree with Matt wholeheartedly! Actually, I think it would be a wonderful idea for Jake to return to his old alma mater and hold a class for those of us on the west side of the Atlantic! Don't think for a minute that the fact that I could practically commute to the classes has anything to do with my suggestion! :D

In the meantime I guess I'll have to make do with buying the book!

AGH! I will be in London not two weeks AFTER this. Looks like a fantastic opportunity. Ah well.

Will the book actually be for sale? I too would like to purchase one if so!!

Ted

I wish I could take this; wrong side of the ocean for me though :(

Dear All,
Thanks for the comments.
I'll be honest , you all have it easy over on your side of the pond , there are so many resources for bladesmiths .
I am doing my little bit to bring some of that back to the old world !!!
I have had a few American students ( and swiss, danish, Swedish, French not to mention the Britts!) and London is a really interesting place for people to visit all that history and all those museums .............
All the best Owen

If you can attend I suggest you do so....Jake is an interesting guy and so is Owen.
Having taught at Owen's school I can recommend it (and London) and having spent some time with Jake I can recommend him as well.

Ric