'Traditional Whittling Techniques' by Paul Miller: Educational Event of the Cheshire Art League

Past Programs

Traditional Whittling Techniques
by Paul Frank Miller

Location:
Cheshire Senior Center
240 MAple Avenue, Cheshire, CT.

Event Date & Time:
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 7:00 PM

Guest Presenter:
Paul Frank Miller

On Tuesday, April 14, the Cheshire Art League welcomes member and Cheshire resident, Paul Miller, who will give a demonstration on wood carving, or as he calls it “whittling”.

Miller describes his self-taught carving style as “hillbilly”, although “folk art" may be the more familiar term. He says that most of the carvings are of small figures, but some are in relief form and most are painted with acrylic paint when finished.

When asked about the kind of wood he prefers to use, he playfully answers “free”. “The 'free' wood is usually pine”, he explains, but he also has used other types of wood including Honduras Mahogany and a tree fungus called “artist fungus”. Tuesday's program will consist of a carving demonstration plus samples and slides of his work.

Miller modestly tells the tale of how he got started in this lifelong hobby. “My family had a 3 acre garden when I was growing up. At the end of summer, they used a wood stove in the canning process and there were always small scraps of wood around. When I was around 18, I picked up a jackknife and started whittling, then it just evolved from there.”

A retired professor of biology, Miller received his degrees from UCONN and SCSU. Since his retirement, he has pursued art in other forms also. He has taken many classed at Artsplace in Cheshire. “I highly recommend Artsplace to any aspiring artists. The quality of instruction there is superb, no matter what your ability”, he says.

Carvings by Paul Miller