Wood Carving
TRACK

Duration: 6 sessions
(2 hours each)
Class Size: 11 people max
Price: $349 - $579*
Ages: 16+

* Price varies based on the tool kit chosen at checkout.
* Includes a 6-week membership at Maker Works!

Dates and Times: 8 AM - 10 AM, Sundays, March 22nd - April 26th

• If purchasing a kit through Maker Works, registration ends Monday, March 7th.

• If bringing your own kit, registration ends Wednesday, March 18th.

About the Instructor

Mike Kapetan, a former teacher at the University of Michigan School of Art and Design, brings decades of experience and draws from the spiritual, scientific, and historical roots of art and sculpture. Whether you're an aspiring carver or looking to deepen your skills, you’ll explore the art of wood carving in a rich, immersive environment under his guidance.

What You’ll Learn

This series focuses on fundamentals that support a lifelong carving practice, including:

• How to clamp and secure your work

• Understanding wood and grain

• Sharpening and keeping tools sharp

• Safe, efficient body mechanics and carving form

• Developing depth, tone, and smooth transitions in your wood

• Traditional techniques and inspiration from historic woodcarvers

What’s Included

• A six-week membership, giving you access to the Maker Works shop beyond class so you can keep progressing between sessions. Be prepared: Mike gives homework!

• All wood and space necessary for carving

• A kit of beginner-friendly tools recommended by Mike Kapetan (Optional for $230 when registering before March 7th)

  • If you do not opt in to buying this kit, then you must come prepared with equivalent tooling. See “Requirements” section below.

How the Series Works

Each session will include a presentation followed by a hands-on demonstration, culminating at the end in each student crafting a bas-relief of a Platonic solid and a freeform, freehand carving. As you advance through the sessions, Mike will cover the realms of depth perception and tonal transitions, draw inspiration from historic woodcarvers, and teach traditional techniques of carving that have served him well for decades.

What have people said about this track?

Requirements

Prerequisites

No experience needed, just a desire to learn!

Gloves

Please bring leather or kevlar gloves, available from your local hardware store.

Buy a Kit OR Bring Your Own

1. If you are not sure what tools are needed for carving, select “Maker Works Provided Kit ($230)” during checkout. You will be provied a wood carving kit, sharp and ready to get started with.

2. If you’d like to bring your own kit, verify it contains all the necessary tools, and make sure they’re sharp!

Optional but Recommended Reading

At any point before, during, or after the track, Mike recommends these books if you’re looking to go even further with wood carving:

• Sharpening Carving Tools for Beginners by Lora S. Irish

• Understanding Wood by R. Bruce Hoadley

• The Soul of a Tree by George Nakashima

• Carve a World of Gnomes by Nikki Reese

Register below!