CVWC-22nd-Woodcarving-Competition
Saturday, October 18th - Show Hours 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
RULES
Entry Information
Set up and Registration:
Friday, October 17th 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday, October 18th 7:00 AM - 8:45 AM
Judging begins at 9 a.m. Saturday
NO ENTRIES ACCEPTED AFTER 8:45 AM ON SATURDAY • NO MAILED-IN ENTRY FORMS or ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED
Entry Fee is $20 per carver. Payable to CVWC at the time of registration.
Check or cash only.
Youth Category 36 will not be charged an entry fee
unless carvings are entered into other categories
Please complete the entry form prior to registration.
Rules
1. Entry form must be completed for all entries.
2. Up to five carvings per category except cat 35.
3. Entries must have been completed since 1/1/2022.
4. All entries must have been handcrafted by the person entering. Roughouts are permitted only in the roughout category.
5. Molded feet and glass eyes are permitted. Use of plastic, fabric, metallic additions, or any other non-carved item is not permitted. Non-wood materials are permitted on the base or habitat, provided they are handcrafted.
6. The CVWC reserves the right to refuse any entry deemed to be “not good taste, or offensive”.
7. Entries will be returned to the exhibitor at 4:00 p.m. on the day of the show.
8. Entries are submitted at the discretion and sole risk of the entrant. CVWC will not be financially responsible for loss or damage regardless of cause.
9. All entries must be hand-delivered.
10. The final placement of the entry into the proper category is at the discretion of the show referees.
11. The decisions of the judges are final.
12. The artist’s name shall be obscured with tape. However, you are encouraged to place name cards or business cards on your carvings after all judging is completed.
13. The Show Committee has the right to add, delete, or subdivide categories.
14. Realistic – Exactly proportioned carving in the round.
15. Stylized – Fully carved with careful deliberate, flowing, curved, and oval surfaces. Simplicity, beauty, and identification with minimal natural details. Realism is not the objective.
16. Caricature – imitation of a person or animal in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect. The subject must be carved in the round.
17. Habitat is not a category subject. Subjects that do not qualify within any category are considered habitat. Example: a dragonfly and a fish in a scene. The dragonfly does not qualify the carving as a group since there is no insect category.
18. No CVWC blue ribbon carvings can compete unless the carving is entered in a higher division than previously entered.
19. Group carvings are any combination of carvings within a category. Must be mounted on a single base. For judging purposes, the dominant subject will determine the category in which the multi-subject group will be placed.
20. CVWC has the final decision over any and all competition-related questions and placement.
Categories
1. Show Theme – Fantasy Halloween Magic/Fantasy. Wood only.
2. Caricature up to 8” – (Excluding base) From bottom of feet to top of head. Single subject.
3. Caricature over 8” – (Excluding base) From bottom of feet to top of head. Single subject.
4. Animal Caricature – Any single subject or size.
5. Caricature Group – 2 or more subjects or any combination from categories 2 through 4. (No roughouts permitted.)
6. Caricature Busts – Any subject.
7. Roughout – Any subject(s), non-instructor-assisted carving carved from a roughout.
8. Bottle Stoppers – Any subject, must be affixed with a cork and displayed in a bottle.
9. Ornaments – Any subject, must be hanging on a stand that is made or purchased.
10. Santa’s – Full-bodied, caricature or realistic, any style.
11. Wood Spirits – Human-like faces carved on the surface of bark, limb, knot, etc.
12. Human Figure – Realistic, proportioned, man, woman, or child. Single or Group.
13. Human Busts – Realistic, proportioned head and partial shoulder of man, woman, or child.
14. Mythical / Fantasy – Any genre of myths, folktales, or imaginative fiction.
15. Songbirds – Realistic – e.g. Robin, Wren, Woodpecker, etc.
16. Ducks – Realistic – e.g. All Ducks, Geese, Swan, etc.
17. Gunning Decoy – Contemporary and “Antique Style” judged in hand.
18. Birds of Prey – Realistic – e.g. Hawk, Owl, Falcons, Eagles, etc.
19. Game Birds – Realistic – e.g. Dove, Turkey, Quail, etc.
20. Sea / Shorebirds – Realistic – Tern, Pelican, Gulls, Plovers, etc.
21. Feathered Groups – 2 or more subjects or any combination of categories 15 -20.
22. Animals – Realistic, proportioned, e.g. Deer, Rabbits, Dogs, Buffalo, (includes reptiles) etc.
23. Aquatic Animals – Realistic, proportioned, e.g. Fish, Sea Mammals, etc.
24. Animal Group – 2 or more subjects or any combination from categories 22 through 23.
25. Carved Found Wood – Wood found in its natural habitat e.g. driftwood, roots, limbs, stumps, knots, etc.
26. Stylized – Any subject that retains identity with minimal detail.
27. Cottonwood Bark – Any carving made exclusively from cottonwood bark (excludes base).
28. Walking Sticks / Canes – Any style, any subject.
29. Cypress Knee – Complete knee, any subject, any size. No inserts, attached or glued are allowed.
30. Chip Carving – Precise, regular, triangular, or wedge-shaped chips of wood to form engraved patterns.
31. Relief Carving – Dimensional images carved in the front of a flat surface or background
32. Pyrography – Divided into categories Wood (painted or natural), Leather, Gourds, Paper, Misc.
33. Miniature – Any style, any subject. Carving (including base) must fit inside a 2-inch cube.
34. Miscellaneous – Wood carvings not listed in any other category.
35. Swap – Any style, size, or subject, painted or natural.
36. Youth -This new category has been added to encourage young carvers to expand their skills by participating in organized competitions at a level appropriate for their age group. Age groups are 11 and under, 12 to 14, and 15 to 17. There will be no entry fee for youth contestants. (This Category Only).
CATEGORY 32–Pyrography
Pyrography is divided into categories: Wood (Painted or natural); Leather; Gourds; Paper; Misc. Non carved pyrography can only be entered nto Categories1 natural); Leather; Gourds; Paper; Misc. Non-carved pyrography can only be entered into Categories 1 (Show Theme - and wood only), 32 (Pyrography), 35 (Swap), and 36 (Youth). No Instructor-assisted entries
CATEGORY 35–SWAP
Any Person entering a carving into the competition is eligible to enter a single carving into category 35. This category will not be divided into divisions or classification. The category will be judged, and ribbons will be awarded to the top three winners: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Classification
Every category except 1, 34, and 35 will be divided as:
PAINTED – Any entry where a pigmented finish is applied to the wood grain. Paint or washes on any surface designates the carving as painted, e.g., stain or paint on the bill of a duck will be judged as “painted”
NATURAL – Any entry that is uniform in natural wood grain, Non-pigmented clear coats, or sealants is allowed.
Competition Divisions
You cannot enter a division lower than the highest one you previously entered in a competition.
NOVICE – Open to carvers who have been carving for less than five years and have not won Best of Novice, Best of Intermediate, or Best of Open at any carving competition. A carver who has won Best of Novice at any carving competition must enter carving(s) in the INTERMEDIATE or OPEN division.
INTERMEDIATE – Open to carvers who have not won Best of Intermediate or Best of Open at any carving competition. A carver who has won Best of Intermediate at any carving competition must enter carving(s) in the Open division.
OPEN – Open to carvers who want to compete at the highest level at this competition.
Raffle
RAFFLE
There will be great carvings at the raffle for $1 a ticket or 6 for $5, etc. If any contestant attending the show would like to donate a small carving to our cause, we will gladly accept it. Just bring it to the show and give it to the folks at the raffle table during registration. The drawing will be about 2:30PM on Saturday, 18th.
You do not have to be present to win as long as your name and phone number are written on the ticket. Winners are required to make arrangements to pick up their carving.
Awards
First, Second, Third, and Honorable Mention ribbons will be awarded in each category.
Best of Novice:
1st $75, 2nd $50, 3rd $25
Best of Intermediate:
1st $125, 2nd $100, 3rd $75
Best of Open:
1st $350, 2nd $250, 3rd $150
Special Prize Sponsored by
Best of Show $500
Best of Show Theme (category 1)
Best of Open $75
Best of Intermediate $50
Best of Novice $25
SEPA Awards
Best of Pyrography Open $150
Best of Pyrography Intermediate $100
Best of Pyrography Novice $50
Judges
Mickey Gaines
Mickey Gaines developed an interest in wood carving in the 1990s while visiting the Craftsman's Village at Dollywood. Shortly afterward, he met Tom Wolfe at the Charlotte Woodcarving Show, which led to several classes with Tom on Grandfather Mountain. Tom became not only a great friend but also a significant source of inspiration for Mickey. The time spent carving at Tom’s home in Spruce Pine deepened Mickey's passion for the craft.
In addition to learning from Tom, Mickey has taken courses and received instruction from other skilled woodcarvers, including Pete LeClair, Dave Stetson, Jim Hiser, Gary Falin, Kevin Applegate, and Mitch Cartledge. He has also utilized videos from the Woodcarving Academy to enhance his skills.
Now retired from a long career as a tool maker and industrial sales representative, Mickey lives in Bear Creek with his wife, Dottie, whom he has been married to for 40 years. He enjoys spending quality time with his family and grandchildren.
Robbie Gibson
Robbie Gibson is from Lexington, NC. In 1970, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines. In 1974, he married Revonda Spann, who is from Valdese, NC.
In 1992, Robbie attended his first woodcarving show organized by the Davidson County Woodcarvers (DCWA). It was the inaugural show for the organization. He experimented with woodcarving on his own for a year and returned to the DCWA show in 1993, where he became a member. He participated in his first show in 1994.
Years later, Robbie served as Vice President of the DCWA for five years and has been President for the past four years. He also has a YouTube channel Hobos outpost workshop where he shares woodcarving content and other activities.
Don McHugh
Don McHugh, a native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, served over 20 years in the U.S. Navy, rising to the highest enlisted rank and then receiving a line commission. He spent part of his career teaching mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy before retiring to join the Systems Analysis Department at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He became Professor Emeritus in 1994.
In 1996, Don moved to Hickory, North Carolina, where he began wood carving in 1999 after completing various classes and workshops. A Regional Artist Project Grant in 2007 allowed him to study under World Champion carver Robert Guge. He is actively involved in the carving community, holding memberships in several organizations and serving as past secretary and president of the Catawba Valley Woodcarvers Club.
Don specializes in realistic three-dimensional carvings, including waterfowl, animals, and figures, while recently also exploring stylized works with airbrush techniques. He participates in competitions and exhibitions, earning numerous awards, including the Decorative Carver of the Year from the International Wildfowl Carvers Association in 2006 and 2008.
Mitch Cartledge
Mitchell lives in Morganton, NC, with his wife, Page. He works as a development manager in the textile industry for a company in South Carolina.
"I began carving in the early 1980s out of necessity. Carving was an affordable way to create a gift for my sister," Mitchell said. Although he has not carved continuously since that initial experience, a meeting with Tom Wolfe, a member of the CCA and an author, reignited his passion for creating in wood. Since then, Mitchell has taken classes from several CCA members, including Pete LeClair, Peter Ortel, Desiree Hajny, Gary Falin, and Harold Enlow.
Mitchell is a member of several organizations, including The National Wood Carvers Association, the Charlotte Wood Carvers Club, the Catawba Valley Wood Carvers Club, and the Artisans Guild of North Carolina. His caricature chess set was featured on the cover of the fall 2008 issue of Woodcarving Illustrated. Additionally, he serves as a moderator on the Woodcarving Illustrated message board.
For Mitchell, carving has become more than just a creative outlet; it has fostered friendships with others who share his passion for woodcarving. He enjoys mentoring others by building upon their individual talents and interests.
John Wood
John is an elusive individual who skillfully avoids photographers and reporters to preserve his air of mystery.
Bruce Beerbower
Bruce is a mysterious individual, rumored to be in the Witness Protection Program and avoiding all publicity.