Coming Events

February Meeting:
Saturday, February 22, 9:00 AM, at the Ed Wood Trade and Industry Center, STI.
Project: Continue carving 2X2 samples from patterns provided by Derek
(Maybe President Hansen will have some additional work to do)

29th Annual CWS Artists of the Plains Art Show & Sale:
February 20, 7-9:30 p.m.; Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Feb. 22 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
At the Downtown Holiday Inn. http://www.augie.edu/news/2009-02/cws-hosts-29th-annual-art-show-and-sale-february-20-22

Desiree Hajny Carving Seminar:
March 14th at the Center for Active Generations. Desiree will be teaching techniques for carving hair detail on realistic animal carvings. The limited number of registrants for this class has been filled. Call Frank Orthmeyer at (605) 333-9980 to see if any cancellations have occurred.

March Meeting:
Saturday, March 21, 9:00 AM, at the Ed Wood Trade and Industry Center, STI.
Project: (to be announced)

Meet Member Derek Boekhoff

Derek Boekhoff, SDWC member since 2007, was born in Sioux Falls and moved to Montana when very young. He lived there for ten years. Then he moved with his parents and two sisters, to California and then to Idaho for a number of years. They moved back to Sioux Falls two and 1/2 years ago. Derek has a lot of family in the Sioux Falls area including a second set of grandparents.

Derek's grandfather, living in Montana, is a Master Carver who introduced Derek to carving in 2001. Derek was on his way home from Heartland Baptist Bible College when he stopped to visit his grandfather. Grandfather showed Derek his carvings and gave Derek several tools. Together, they worked on a two-foot by two and half foot carving of panthers in a grassland scene. Derek has this carving and plans to add more foliage some day. This grandfather has been a big inspiration for Derek to carve.

Today, Derek works at a Sioux Falls manufacturing plant called "Showcase Wood Products. Future plans for Derek include making furniture and adding relief carvings to the product. Derek is fond of wild life subjects such as wild cats and panthers for his projects. He has also enjoyed carving small Christmas ornaments for family members. He likes relief carving, but does three-dimensional as well. A leopard lamp carving is one that he has been working on during our club meetings.

Derek earned a BA in Church Music at Heartland Bible College. Today, he is much involved in his congregational activities and does some music arrangements. Derek has also been a pianist for eighteen years. Derek is one of our newer and younger club members and is very faithful to attend our meetings. It's been fun to watch the progress of Derek's leopard lamp carving. It was shown at the Sioux Empire Fair Expo this past summer. We Enjoy Derek's participation in our club activities and appreciate his willingness to serve as our new Vice President.

Notice of Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of South Dakota Woodcarvers, Inc. will be held on the 17th day of January in the year 2009 for the purpose of electing officers and planning activities for the coming year. The meeting will be held in room 503 of the Ed Wood Trade and Industry Building on the campus of Southeastern Technical Institute, Sioux Falls, between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM.

Activities and project carving planned for the regular third Saturday meeting will follow the meeting adjournment.

Meet the Members

Lloyd Whitley - Member since 2005

Lloyd and his wife, Joy, are long-time Sioux Falls Residents. Lloyd was a State Farm Insurance agent until he retired in 1997. Also, along the way, Lloyd was a body and fender man for seven years, especially enjoying the challenge of spray painting a flawless finish. Joy and Lloyd have six children and eleven grand children, and with the marriage of a grandchild, Lloyd is looking forward to becoming a great grandfather.

Lloyd's interest in working with his hands probably began in the 1930's when he was a youngster growing up and having to make his own toys. After retiring, he and Joy drove their RV to Texas where he was exposed to the art of woodcarving. Taking classes and purchasing a book soon had Lloyd carving elk and deer. Currently he enjoys learning to carve birds. He has taken classes from such notables as Kirt Curtis, Desiree Hajny, and Frank Orthmeyer. (Frank, you are grouped in great company.)

The Center for Active Generations hosts several of Lloyds carving. He gives eagle carvings away to members of his family, and a copy of his wolf and cub was a gift to his brother in Alaska. However, he did sell a blue heron. Big horn sheep and a Kestrel hawk in walnut are carvings proudly completed, and several of Lloyd's carvings have done well in competition at the Sioux Empire Fair Expo and SDHCA Dakota MasterWorks.

Traveling and hunting also interest Lloyd. He has taken big game such as elk, deer, and antelope, and he has crafted his own bow and makes his own arrows for big game hunts. In addition to hunting with his bow, Lloyd has entered state and national competitions. Another enjoyment has been the teaching archery to his grand children. Today, Lloyd has added flying remotely controlled aircraft and using an air brush for special effects in painting his carvings. This fellow doesn't quit! Glad your are with the Club Lloyd! Keep on inspiring us with your many tallents!

25th Annual South Dakota Woodcarvers Chirstmas Show and Sale

Looking for unique hand-made Christmas gifts? Come to the Parkridge Galleria (26h St. and Western Ave, Sioux Falls) this Saturday, December 6th, and visit displays of hand-carved wooden ornaments, unusual gift items and fine sculpture by members of South Dakota Woodcarvers, Inc.

Doors open at 9:00 AM.