I’m as behind as usual, but I just spent some time listing my teaching schedule as it now stands for 2017. It will be listed at the top of the blog, – https://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/teaching-schedule-for-2017/ – but I’ve copied it below here for now.
In addition, I hope to offer one-on-one instruction here at my new shop. I still have a few bits to finish off first, but just wanted to let people know. there’s 2 benches, and lots of tools. As I think about format, it could be pretty flexible. Students could come for technique-based sessions, like the spoon carving or furniture carving I do. Or we could focus on a project, like the carved boxes. If anyone is interested, email me to discuss your ideas. Peter.Follansbee@verizon.net I’ll post more about these when I am closer to being ready. Hopefully within 2 months.
Meanwhile, here’s the classes & more at the usual schools…
Teaching Schedule for 2017
The beginning of this year got away from me, so I am just now posting my teaching schedule for 2017. In addition to these classes, exhibition, and other presentations, I hope to offer one-on-one sessions here at my new shop. I have a little fine tuning to finish up, then I can sort that out. I picture these being either techniques, like spoon carving or carving 17th century patterns; but maybe these could be project oriented too. If anyone is interested, they can email me ( Peter.Follansbee@verizon.net ) & we can tailor something to suit, and go over specifics.
Here’s the schedule as is stands now – there will likely be things added here & there. Right now, there’s nothing with Plymouth CRAFT other than the Greenwood Fest, and I know that we’ll do a few classes during the year. So, more to come.
February 18th & 19th, Spoon Carving, CVSWW
Spoon carving class at Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking. This will be our first time offering this class at Bob Van Dyke’s place. It’s filling up, good winter work, inside carving spoons. I’ll bring some fresh wood, some knives – grab your hatchet & come to CT. http://www.schoolofwoodworking.com/woodworking-classes.html#Speciality_Weekend_Classes
February 28-March 4, North House Folk School
I’ll take part in Wood Week at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN. It will be my first time teaching there, I was a student a few years ago, and found the school and the people to be great. I’ll be working on carving 17th-century style designs for furniture decoration and also giving a talk.. http://www.northhouse.org/programs/events/woodcarverweek.htm
March 18-June 25, exhibition at Fuller Craft Museum
Starting in March, my work will be represented in conjunction with a Plymouth CRAFT exhibition at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts. There’s an opening reception on Sunday April 9th. Details here http://fullercraft.org/event/living-traditions-the-handwork-of-plymouth-craft/ and http://fullercraft.org/event/opening-reception-for-living-traditions-the-handwork-of-plymouth-craft-and-ellen-schiffman-the-52-box-project/ There will be some more collaboration between Plymouth CRAFT and Fuller Craft, part of which happens during Greenwood Fest.
April 21-23, Fine Woodworking Live, Southbridge MA
I’ll be part of the group at Fine Woodworking Live in Southbridge, Massachusetts. http://www.finewoodworkinglive.com/ I’ll be doing presentations about oak joinery, including the carving. It’s quite a line-up, my first time with Fine Woodworking…
May 20 & 21, 17th-c style carving , CVSWW
I’ll be back at Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking to do a 2-day class in 17th-century style carving. This one is always fun, because we carve patterns that give Bob the creeps…he sees faces in every design. Very unsettling.
June 6-11, Plymouth CRAFT’s Greenwood Fest.
It was such a big hit last year, we were dumb enough to do it again. Still some spaces in some pre-fest classes, and a waiting list for the festival. many got in from the waiting list last year. https://www.greenwoodfest.org/
August 19 & 20, Spoon Carving at Lie-Nielsen
I’ll be up at Lie-Nielsen for 2 days of spoon carving. One of my favorite trips of the year. https://www.lie-nielsen.com/workshop/USA/156
Late September – Make a Carved Box, CVSWW
We haven’t set the dates yet, but this will probably be a four-day class, around a weekend in September. We’ll carve and assemble a box typical of the 17th-century work I have specialized in for all these years. My only box class this year…details soon.
Oct 6-8 Spoon Carving, Woodwright’s School.
I’ll be teaching spoon carving down at Roy Underhill’s Woodwright’s School. Fun happens there.
PETER FOLLANSBEE: JOINER’S NOTES 
Private lessons can go two ways. One is to teach a project that covers most of the basic skills. The other way is to have a list of those individual skills so that a person who is fighting at just a few of them can focus in on those to get them mastered. So a check list of individual skills they can choose to focus on or a choice of projects with a list of the skills those projects cover. Some people might also want a lessons that focuses on the traditional designing of the elements and how to lay them out on the board. Then come back for a lesson on carving what they designed in that first lesson.
Peter, do you ever teach any further south? I promise we’re nice.
I teach lots of places each year. It depends on where I’m invited, timing & other commitments…
I just got your spooncarving video of L-N.com. Really enjoying it, but still searching for a greener tree to use. The stuff I got off the wood pile from my girlfriend’s dad is apple and still a little wet, but also a ways from green. I also realized I got the wrong kind of hatched (I got the single bevel style) but I’m making it work. I got my axe from Black Bear Forge and it’s really great!
Also, I failed to do exactly as you said, and ended up getting hurt. I sliced my fingertip off with my sharp new knife. So now I’m studying the videos again while I heal :D
I wish I could take a class, but in the mean time cutting myself in the privacy of my own home will have to do.
Ouch. Study the grips & movements; not just in what I shot w LN, but see Wille Sundqvist’s book Swedish Carving Techniques by Taunton Press. Jarrod Dahl has a good video too, with Popular Woodworking Magazine. he’s a great teacher.
Thanks for the tip, I will check the books out. I’ve been much more careful and am three spoons in now. Turned out that apple had some wetter pieces. Anyway, it’s a load of fun. And I get to whack stuff with an axe, which is fun in and of itself.