Today we’d like to introduce you to Simon Graham.
Hi Simon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I first found an interest in wood carving when I was about six or seven years old. My dad had a friend who was a farmer and I watched him carve little chains from wood. I served six years in the navy before changing careers and becoming a tv technician in Los Angles. It was with this career that I was able to transfer to South Carolina and start my own tv repair company. I retired at age 65 and got into wood carving as something to keep me busy during my retirement. My wife of 60 years also says that it helps to keep me out of trouble. I taught myself how to create wood carvings by learning from a book I checked out from the library and attending a few weekend classes. Now, at 81 years young, I have been carving for about 15 years and enjoy showing my creations to others. I am very active in my church, and I enjoy taking carvings to residents of assisted living facilities and spending time with them. During the farmers market season at the Market at Icehouse in Lexington, I have a table set up on select Saturdays and I enjoy selling my craft and asking everyone trivia questions.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say that it has been a pretty smooth road for me to learn the craft of wood carving. I started with small, simple projects and gradually tackled more complex projects. It is always interesting to carve a piece that is made of many interlocking parts out of a single piece of wood. As with all crafts, there is always a learning curve and figuring out ways to improve the process. The biggest struggle I would say I have been having recently is figuring out how to sell my projects online. As I am getting older, I want to limit the number of markets I go to and be able to have a strong online presence. It can also be difficult to figure out how to price your carvings and figure out what customers are looking to buy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create wood carvings out of mainly basswood that I also hand paint and hand stain. From time to time, I will add small details such as glass eyes or metal feet to the carvings to elevate them. I would say that my carvings stand out because I carve such a large variety. My carvings include birds, dogs, alligators, wizards, people, famous presidents, whales, elephants, turtles, religious icons, trucks, shoes, gnome houses, Christmas ornaments, complex puzzles, and many other types of carvings. I mainly carve what I enjoy and what I find challenging. The carvings that I am most proud of are my bird carvings. I just find that I enjoy putting so many little details into them and hand-painting them. My all-time favorite was the carving I did of a Northern Waxwing, which my wife enjoyed so much that she took and put on the mantle. I was also proud to be featured in Chip Chats, the magazine for the National Wood Carvers Association, several times. At one point, a picture of a carving of mine was featured on the back cover.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I just wanted to share how much I enjoy wood carving. It gives me something to do in retirement, helps to keep my mind sharp, and my wife says it keeps me out of trouble. I just wish that more young people had an interest in wood carving. There is nothing more enjoyable than passing on your knowledge to someone who shares an interest with you and helping them to grow and troubleshoot problems.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simonswoodcarvings.com
- Instagram: simonswoodcarvings
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/SimonsCarvings
Image Credits
Simon Graham
