This is a VIRTUAL CLASS via ZOOM.

Want to learn to carve but not sure where to start? Pumpkins are a fun, low-stakes entry into the wide world of carving and thinking in 3D.

In this follow-along demo, students will learn step-by-step methods for carving pumpkins, from classic jack-o-lantern pierce carving, to more ornate intaglio, or sunken relief carving. Students will have the option to work on their own design, or carve-along with a design provided by the instructor.

The instructor will demonstrate a variety of tools, from common kitchen tools, to specialty pumpkin tools, to wood carving tools. We'll discuss how to think about transferring a 2D design onto a 3D pumpkin, how use light and depth to your advantage, and best practices for prolonging the life of the pumpkin after it's carved. Most importantly, we'll have a lot of fun.

What you will need to follow-along with the instructor:

• A pumpkin
• Inexpensive pumpkin carving tools like this set
  
• • these sets are typically less than $10, can be found near the pumpkins at most grocery stores, and don't take up much room in the back of a utensil drawer
  • I use my set for pumpkins in the fall and melons in the summer
• Carving gouges
  
• • if you already own a few carving gouges, great! Use those!
    
  • if you don't own any gouges at all, but want to get some practice here, I recommend purchasing an inexpensive set of linoleum cutters, which you can find at your local art store, for $5-$15.
    
  • if you don't have them and don't want to buy them, don't worry about it! You can always learn from watching this part of the class, and decide to buy tools later if you feel like it.
• A marker, like a sharpie
• An LED votive, or a good old fashioned votive candle or tea light
• A large box or blanket. Since we are carving during the day, you'll need either of those handy to occasionally cover your pumpkin and check on the progress of its glow!
  

Kitchen tools to have on hand if you got 'em (but no need to buy them if you don't):

• vegetable peeler
• barbecue skewers or other thin pointy tools
• wooden cooking spoon
• melon baller
• butter knife
• various sizes of metal spoons
• paring knife
• lemon juice

Sarah Marriage, WOO's founder, is a maker of fine furniture and other wooden objects. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Sarah studied architecture at Princeton University and fine woodworking at The College of the Redwoods (now The Krenov School). She has taught at The Krenov School, Penland School of Craft, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Sarah's work has shown at galleries and trade shows across the US, including Dwell on Design in Los Angeles, ICFF in New York, and Pritam & Eames Gallery in East Hampton, NY.

You can see more images of her work at her website sarahmarriage.com or on instagram @sarah_marriage

Starting a tool collection can be daunting and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be!  In this class students will learn how to search for, buy, and restore old tools.

The instructor will share tips and tricks for finding and purchasing old but redeemable tools. She will show you how to negotiate your way through the swaths of over priced items on ebay and how to tell a pile of rust from a diamond in the rough. She will also go over how to clean, de-rust, and remake missing parts for an eggbeater drill and a handsaw and demonstrate her processes for making them look and work like new.

All skill levels welcome. No prerequisites. All you need is a computer and a good internet connection!

WOO is a non-profit safe space for training underrepresented genders in our field. As such, enrollment is limited to non-binary, trans, and woman-identifying folks over the age of 18.

All class times are in U.S. Eastern Time.

Eleanor Ingrid Rose is a craft based sculpture artist and a toolmaker. She has an MFA in Wood from UW-Madison and works alongside Stacy Motte in their collaborative project Ladies Who Wood. She has been collecting and making tools for over a decade because when she graduated from undergrad she had no way to continue her art practice. Both refurbishing and ground up toolmaking quickly became two of her favorite things to do.

See more images of their/her work below, or by visiting her instagram @off_artisan or @ladieswhowood

THIS IS A VIRTUAL CLASS VIA ZOOM.  (Class time is listed in Eastern Time zone.)

Learn the craft of making Taiwanese pith flowers with materials made from the plant Tetrapanax papyrifer ( tōngcǎo 蓪草) .

In this class we will learn how to make realistic and colorful Cherry Blossoms. We will study the anatomy of the flower and recreate them using pith paper. A brief history about the importance of pith flowers in Chinese and Taiwanese history will be covered at the beginning of class.

The nearly 2000-year-old craft of making artificial pith flowers plays an important role in the cultural history of Taiwan and is vulnerable to being lost. Currently, there is only one practicing pith “paper” craftsperson in Taiwan and only a few pith flower making experts left. Right now, a revival is being championed by the Taiwan Tong Cao Association, an organization dedicated to researching tōngcǎo and all uses related to the plant (which is not limited to just traditional flower making). Irene assists this effort by sharing the art of making flowers with others in America as well as documenting the work of people who are essential to the survival of the plant and craft in Taiwan. She works regularly with Taiwanese craftspeople, artists, wood scientists, conservationists, herbalists and art historians who all volunteer their spare time to this revival.

All skill levels welcome. No prerequisites. All you need is a computer and a good internet connection!

Kits are available for purchase from now until Friday October 29th.

**PLEASE ALLOW 1-2 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OUTSIDE BALTIMORE.  Baltimore-area orders will be delivered by WOO volunteers by the class date.**

Materials included in the KIT:

No prerequisites, all skills level welcome.  All you need to follow along at home is a KIT, a computer, and a good internet connection!

Irene Wei is a pith flower maker and furniture designer whose work is deeply rooted in community and culture.
Irene received her BFA in Furniture Design and a Concentration in Nature Culture Sustainability Studies from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has previously worked as a woodworking instructor at a maker space where she also made furniture on commission. In 2019, she was an Emerging Artist winner at the Philadelphia Furniture Show.
Outside of Irene’s furniture practice she runs Pith Flower Shop– a passion project meant to educate people about the importance plant Tetrapanax papyrifer ( tōngcǎo 蓪草) for its uses in Taiwanese traditional flower making. All flowers sold through the site go directly toward funding her research on this subject which has been supported by the RISD Maharam STEAM Fellowship and the Fulbright Research Fellowship.

See more images of her furniture and design work on her instagram @irene.lin.wei and website irenewei.com And find more images of Pith Flowers on instagram @pith.flower.shop and the website pithflowershop.com