Jim O'Dea, a carving instructor and a familiar name to members of the carving community, is the coordinator of the annual Lake Placid Woodcarving Experience. Over the years, he has put together a group of well-known instructors with very diverse carving backgrounds. There is (orwill be) a class available for any type of carving—from a full-bust sculpture, to woodburning (pyrography), caricature, historical reproduction, and nearly any subject in between. Classes unrelated to carving are also available to "noncarving" spouses, and after-class activities are available to anyone who attends the event.
Approaching the magical isle of Bali by air, the traveler is treated to the breathtaking sights of Mount Agung's perfect volcanic cone, a rich green tapestry of paddy fields, and lush wooded hills below, which raise the spirits after the long transpacific haul to Indonesia.
When two extraordinary artists, both at the zenith of their art, meet, it should be memorialized—by one of them. Fortunately, it was.
Bill Jenkins is relatively new to the carving world. He has only five years of part-time experience, yet he has evolved to a level far beyond his expectations by practicing his art and never giving up.
When Patrick Pelkey's doctor told him that he had Parkinson's disease, he went to his car and cried. “It was just a shock," he said. “I was 49 at the time."
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder (affecting the nervous system) that is chronic and progresses differently from person to person. While it is treatable, it is not curable. Between one and two million persons in the United States have been diagnosed, and there are about 60,000 new cases each year. No one knows what causes Parkinson's disease.
