An Interview with Carving and Woodworking Instructor, Sabiha Mujtaba

We last interviewed you in 2005. How has your carving progressed in the last 9 years? What new techniques have you learned in that time?

Since 2005 my woodwork, and carving in particular, has been for commissioned work. The carving has been more prominent in my work due to the complexity of projects requested by clients. These have led to greater use of hand-carving gouges whereas in past years I had carved mostly with power-tools; with the chainsaws, Arbortechs and the Foredom rotary tools. I still use then for some faster removal of material but the detailed work is really with the hand tools.

How do you approach designing a carving project?

The designing has been for clients’ requests in recent years, based on either representational or free-flowing abstract forms within their projects. That can be a challenge in some functional pieces like the Chrysochroa Table , where the thin insect legs almost impossible to do in wood, were carved polystyrene wrapped around a metal armature and coated with layers of fiberglass; many new techniques in that project.

The most recent commissions were purely decorative and sculptural. These did present certain challenges that have expanded my carving ability and made me curious as to how I can incorporate those elements in my furniture designs.

Any design begins with numerous sketches, possibly scaled clay or wood models, sometimes even a full size in clay, if possible, to get actual measurements.

What is your favorite part of the carving process?

My favorite part is the beginning and the end. I still really like the early exciting creative stage when I draw and see in my mind how the piece would look. The hard labor of gluing up and wasting the wood, shaping, sharpening tools, sanding cleaning etc all have some good moments but mostly it’s just hard work. The end, when the shapes and forms have found their way from the depths of the wood, is when I am impatient to put a finish on and see how the grain conforms to the turns and twists of the shapes.

You started college as a sculpture student - was your initial focus on other mediums apart from wood?

Our focus in Art College was mainly on figurative sculpture so the mediums of choice were clay with plaster casting. Others materials were presented as options and we chose other subject matter to explore there. Various trade school classes were available within the curriculum; such as industrial welding, plasterwork for architectural moldings/accents, gilding and painting for manuscripts and illumination, brick laying/carving and of course woodshop. These techniques were taught on basic levels but enough to peek a sculpture student’s interest in possible uses.

Do you carve other materials apart from wood these days?

The polystyrene insect legs I mentioned earlier, were shaped with rasps (another method of carving) I have not tackled stone carving since my college days. Not sure if I want to now, anyway. I like wood for carving.

Tell us a little about your Fundamentals of Woodcarving class at Highland Woodworking.

In the two and a half day, Fundamentals of Woodcarving , students work on a relief carving. They are given several designs to choose from and learn how to use not only hand carving gouges but also power tools to transfer and carve on basswood that is approx 10” x 10” x 2”. They get general information and some practice on care, use and sharpening of a variety of tools. But, mostly to experience and enjoy the physicality of carving.

I also have a design approach in this class; how to interpret linear drawing into carved forms in varying depths.

What do you like most about teaching woodcarving in a class setting?

Within a class setting of a small group, students learn a great deal from each other. They all have their own take on the same design and test out different techniques. I really like seeing their projects develop as their skill improve even within the weekend timeframe. Even they are impressed with their own ability.

What can you learn in a class that you might not be able to master on your own?

Many books and videos show a few fingers or a hand holding a gouge in mid-action. How to hold the tools and let your whole body be part of the carving posture is far more important to learn by watching someone in action. How to position and support your hands and arms so you have total control of not only the cuts you make on the wood but also to avoid the cuts on yourself! Watching a carver show you how the grain change in the middle of a cut necessitates a change of body positioning or that of the work , the back and forth of questions, comments and advise and the brainstorming of ideas during the class is helpful to many…including the instructor! As in so many things, learning to carve is about practicing the craft and a watchful instruction may explain (and possibly correct) when some tools are more effective than others for certain applications.

What woodcarving-specific resources (books/dvds, communities, etc.) do you recommend to the beginning woodcarver? What about someone who is more advanced?

1. Chris Pye…books and videos…almost any.
2. Andrew Thomas…”Carving in the Round”.
3. Choose what ever style of carving attracts you and check those books/dvd.
4. Woodcarvers Club of Atlanta…meet every first Tuesday of month.
5. Penland School of Craft, Penland NC. Frequently has carving classes in their woodshop.
6. Arrowmont School of Craft, Gatlinburg,TN…I’ll be teaching a one-week class there in August 2015.
7. For advance students, if possible, I suggest a week plus class for total emersion.
8. We can also offer mid to advance students carving classes privately at HWW

If a student wants to do a high-relief carving that involves areas that are almost in the full-round and fade toward the low relief…..that foreshortening effect can be challenging and exciting to achieve. In fact one of the designs in my Fundamentals of Woodcarving class offers such an option. Advance students are welcome to meet their challenge. There was also a class we offered Carving in the Round – 3-D that we hope to do again.

What advice would you give to someone who is just beginning to carve?

Firstly what kind of carving attracts you: whittling, chip-, relief-, caricature, or in-the-round carving. Secondly, consult some books, watch YouTube for those methods, and if your interest continues, then take a class, perhaps one that does not require a huge monetary investment and still gives you a good basic understanding.

What is it about wood that makes it such a good carving medium?

Wood is readily available, beginning in the back yard. For small projects, you can go to local wood/craft stores (like Highland Woodworking). Lumber yards have dried and rough milled varieties for large scale projects.

What woods do you most recommend for carving?

Basswood (also known as linden or lime), usually is the chosen wood for ease and consistency of grain. Carving in any wood is possible, but not for beginners. I also like alder that I used recently. It cuts smoothly with a beautiful sheen, with a sharp tool of course. The very hard exotic woods do take a toll on any tools and you have to hone/sharpen them many times during carving.

What woodcarving tools do you use?

All that are available to me…from chainsaw to ceramic 1/16th tapered bits that fit the rotary tools. Whatever does the shape I am after.

Sabiha has been a full-time woodworker and carver for 20 years. She is a member of the Furniture Society, and her work has been shown in American Craft Council Shows, in the Decatur Arts Festival and the ACC Southeast. She was featured in Fine Woodworking Magazine Design Book Seven . She is represented by Shidoni Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.

Sabiha can be reached directly via email at sabiha@chrysaliswoodworks.com . You can also visit her website at http://www.chrysaliswoodworks.com/