• Home
  • About
  • Newsletters
  • Learn Carving
  • Links
  • Documents
  • Carving School

 

Michele Parsons-Class is Full.

            Michele Parsons is a pyrography instructor and woodcarver from North Carolina. She is an author for Pyrography Magazine, covering topics on design principles and projects. Michele will be teaching at the 2016 Fox Chapel Publishing Open House in PA this May, Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers School in TN, as well as at the 50th International Woodcarving Congress in IA this June. Visit Michele’s website at www.ParsonsWoodArtistry.com to view samples of her work. You can contact her at 919-389-4918 or email: ParsonsWoodArtistry@yahoo.com.

 

            The first part of this class will concentrate on grasping the basics of burning with a variable-temperature woodburner, safety in burning, use and care of the different pen nibs, wood choices, how to make corrections, burning with tonal dynamics, color and finishes.  The second part of this class will be applying the knowledge gained in part one to create a project.  The students will choose a picture from a selection for the class project.  Each part of the project will be mastered through a series of instructor demonstration followed by students working on their project with individual instructor feedback.

 

Blanks/Supplies:           $10.00-$15.00 depending on choices.

Tools Required:            Bring your enthusiasm and your variable temperature woodburning equipment and pens. Some equipment is available for loan on a first-come basis and equipment will also be available for sale. Other materials will be supplied. Optional tools to bring: magnifying glasses or clip-on magnifier, a small fan (for pulling fumes away), lighting (small table lamp or clip-on flexible light).

Skill Level:                   Beginner to Advanced.

Mini-Classes

 

Michele Parsons will be offering a mini-class in the evenings on burning a leather bracelet or bookmark. Tuition for Michele’s mini-class will be $15.00 and includes one leather blank

 

Last year’s Southeastern Woodcarving Class:

Quotes about Michele’s Class:

“I believe your [Michele] biggest achievement is that you make students feel like this is something they can do and continue to do.”
          – Coleman Fourshee, General Manager for Klingspor’s Woodworking Shop

“It [the class] was well paced for beginners with a lot of knowledge passed on.”  – Don G.

“Everything was clearly explained and demonstrated.”  – Rose O.

“Great one on one instructions; Easy steps to learn by.”  – Sharon H.

“Great instruction. Nice price. Understandable. Fun!”  – Steve Z.

“Michele Parsons is kind, patient, and highly knowledgeable—a wonderful instructor!” – Fran W.

“The instructor was patient and easy to follow. Being a beginner I was hesitant but the instructor made me feel adequate.” – Ann K.

“Working with a few tools we were able to do a “real” project.” – Michael M.

“Finished a project and it looked good!” – Jerome B.

“Instructor was extremely knowledgeable and able to relay those techniques in a clear and easy to understand manner. Also very encouraging to each student and helpful in specifics.” – Joy L.

Additional Class Information:

This class is designed to give students who have never woodburned, the background and hands-on instruction to use the different types of pens that current technology has made available. We will be using a variable-temperature woodburning unit instead of the solid point, single temperature woodburner (which is a craft style pen similar to a soldering iron). The variable-temperature equipment has available pens that come in a variety of tips, with some manufactures touting over 850 tip selections. Michele will teach you that all of these pens fall into 4 basic categories and she’ll teach you which 3 tips you need to get started.

Using this equipment, students of varying artistic skill levels create their first masterpiece. Michele’s students frequently tell her that they are not sure they can do this class because they can’t draw a stick figure, only to tell her at the end of the day that they can’t believe they made their creation. She’s had many students really excited about what they learned. If you have a somewhat steady hand, you can woodburn. The way Michele teaches is by reviewing some background information, and then talking about the different equipment and pens available. Michele then demonstrates each type of pen, one at a time, and has the students try that pen type themselves, while she goes around the room and guides each student to improve their technique. Michele then reviews patterns and demonstrates how to transfer the pattern to wood. All students then transfer their project pattern to their project wood, as well as transfer a few parts of the picture to their practice board. Then Michele demonstrates how to burn certain parts of the project, such as an eye and nose of an animal. Each student then burns the parts on their practice board to get comfortable with burning and ease the fear of starting on their project. After a break for lunch, students start burning the same parts that they practiced before the break onto their project board. Then Michele demonstrates how to burn another part of the picture, and then the students work on it while Michele works with each student individually. Michele’s method of teaching is to give the students encouragement and guidance, while never working directly on the student’s piece. She demonstrates next to the student on a practice board. At the end of the day, students can say they did the whole project themselves with a great sense of pride.

Pyrography is an art form that can be used to turn plain woodworking projects into unique pieces. It can be used to personalize pieces and/or create heirloom pieces that can be passed down for generations. Students will learn how to use woodburning to texture, create patterns, and drawings for their projects making their woodworking pieces stand out.

Benefits of the Class:

·         Students will learn all the basic skills to complete their own woodburning projects.

·         Students will have hands-on experience with variable-temperature woodburning units.

·         Students will understand the purpose of all 4 categories of pens and their uses.

·         Students will leave the class with a completed project utilizing all the basic pyro skills learned in the class.

Michele Parsons Bio:

Michele Parsons is an enthusiastic and highly motivational instructor. She is a member of the International Association of Pyrographic Artists (IAPA). She is one of the few pyrography (woodburning) instructors in the North Carolina area, and has taught pyrography classes from Alabama to Wisconsin. Michele was a participant in the historic 20th Century Pyrography Exhibition at the Andrews Art Museum in Andrews, NC. She is an author for Pyrography Magazine, covering topics on design principles and projects. Michele will be teaching at the 2016 Fox Chapel Publishing Open House in PA this May, Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers School in TN, as well as at the 50th International Woodcarving Congress in IA this June.

 

Michele earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Western Carolina University and, after a successful corporate career, has spent the last twelve years woodcarving, creating pyrography and studying under renowned instructors such as Fred Cogelow, Paul Rolfe, Tom Wolfe, Vic Kirkman, Desiree Hajny, and Rosalyn Daisey. Michele is very active in national and local woodcarving and pyrography clubs and founded the North Carolina Woodcarving Association. She currently runs Parsons Wood Artistry, sells her artwork in regional galleries, does commission work, and teaches pyrography.