WHITTLING UP A STORM : SIMI WOODCARVER BRINGS JOY TO OTHERS.Byline: Ann-Marie Sanchez Daily News Staff Writer John Virgil's 77-year-old hands speak worlds about his life. They are the thick, muscular fingers, chipped fingernails and rough-skinned hands of a man who has worked hard battling fires as a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. City firefighter. But a crooked nail and missing fingertip fin·ger·tip n. The extreme end or tip of a finger. show another part of Virgil's world - a passion for carving wood, a love he has had since he was a kid. ``I just developed it over the years,'' said Virgil, seated inside his workshop set up in his garage. ``The pocket knife was my toy since I was 8 years old.'' A few deft deft adj. deft·er, deft·est Quick and skillful; adroit. See Synonyms at dexterous. [Middle English, gentle, humble, variant of dafte, foolish; see daft. strokes and several quick gouges bring forth the eyes of a small owl in mere seconds as he demonstrates his talent in the comfort of his ``office.'' ``It's very relaxing for me. It's just something I enjoy doing every day,'' Virgil said. As a woodcarver, Virgil doesn't believe in selling his crafted wood figurines, ranging from human forms to dolphins and alligators. It's a custom he believes brings dignity to the craft he so enjoys. And on any given Monday, Virgil can be found giving lessons in his garage to people who want to try their hand at chipping wood and whittling Whittling is the art of carving shapes out of raw wood with a knife. Whittling is typically performed with a light, small-bladed knife, usually a pocket knife. Specialised whittling knives are available as well. through oak. His students usually find him at the arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. fairs where he shows but does not sell his creations. ``I call it show and tell and drool,'' Virgil said, smiling. ``I enjoy seeing the kids be happy when I give 'em something, and the adults like it too.'' Jean Conrad brings her son from Moorpark to Virgil's place for tips on woodcarving. ``We really enjoy it,'' said Conrad, 44. ``He's a neat old guy.'' Conrad's 11-year-old son Forbes appreciates not only his new schooling but the company of his 77-year-old teacher. ``He's really nice. I have a fun time when I'm there. It's fun to talk, to watch and listen to him,'' said Forbes, who has carved his first penguin. Many of Virgil's products can be found overseas, as far off as England, where he's given away mementos while on vacation. ``They make great Christmas and birthday gifts, and wedding presents, too,'' said the white-haired craftsman. Virgil's wife, Donnetta, gives the wood carvings wood carving, as an art form, includes any kind of sculpture in wood, from the decorative bas-relief on small objects to life-size figures in the round, furniture, and architectural decorations. The woods used vary greatly in hardness and grain. away almost faster than her wood-carving husband can showcase his pieces, Virgil said. But with a house full of crafts, she occasionally gets weary of her husband's love for wood. ``That's all he does,'' said Donnetta, who sometimes uses a hand-carved cane her husband made for her. To pass the time this summer, Virgil had two 35-foot palm trees cut down just low enough to carve tiki Tiki Tick of Dow Jones Industrial Average component issues. poles out of them in front of his house. And after carving a 4-foot-tall bear out of the remnants of an old tree, he donated it to the Rancho ran·cho n. pl. ran·chos Southwestern U.S. 1. A hut or group of huts for housing ranch workers. 2. A ranch. Santa Susana Santa Susana can refer to several places:
``I just got tired having it pruned,'' Virgil said. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (color) John Virgil, 77, a former Los Angeles City firefighter, has enjoyed a lifelong love affair with woodcarving. He often gives his works away. Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News |
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