Woodcarver Ezine
Back Issues
Carvers' Companion Gateway

Dear Friends in Carving -

Welcome to the January/February 2001 issue of the Woodc@rver Online Magazine.

This issue of WOM contains a first: reviews of five "books" - three traditional print volumes, an electronic book downloaded from the web, and an electronic "book" on CD-ROM. Electronic books, like electronic magazines before them, are the coming thing. As a confirmed bibliophile, however, I must admit I look on the latter two "books" with mixed feelings.

Now, truth be told, there are clear advantages to electronic books. Downloading the electronic version of Feather Carving took just a few minutes. A CD-ROM "book" takes up little space. The Book of Kells CD-ROM contains video and zoom effects just not possible in print media, and I will prize the CD for year to come.

The electronic book clearly had it's advantages, particularly in presenting the Arts. We may certainly expect to see many more in the future and like any reasonable person, I will embrace electronic books for the good and useful things they can provide.

The essence of a book is not the media - it's the thoughts and ideas, images and meaning. It really doesn't matter if the media is ink on paper or electrons on a screen - a book is a book is a book.

Now, having said that, this might seem a trifle odd for the editor of an electronic magazine - but still . . . there's a part of me that says a "real" book is not electrons on a screen, but is ink and paper and cloth, something you hold in your hand, use your fingers to turn the pages, something that requires a physical bookmark. I can still hear my paternal grandparents, professional librarians both, say to me " . . . and NEVER dog-ear the page, young man. . . "

- Matt Kelley

This issue is once again chock-a-block with all kinds of interesting articles, including:

• The Front Page features an architectural carving by Ron Wiener
• Celtic Art is the special focus of this issue - articles include:
  • The World of Celtic Art
  • Gallery of Celtic Art, carved in wood and otherwise
  • Review of The Book Of Kells CD-ROM, available now from Trinity College Dublin
  • The Stone Celtic Cross by Cari Buziak
  • Gallery of Irish Stone Crosses by Matt Kelley
• Reviews, Reviews Everywhere!
  • Pete LeClair's New Book - review by Matt Kelley
  • Northwest Native Art - review of two books by Bill Judt
  • Feather Carving by Jill Ellis, reviewed by Matt Kelley
• "Ol' Don" Burgdorf's pattern is a Celtic Knotwork Border
• Pete LeClair's friend Calhoun comes a'callin'
• Kathleen Menendez's regular Pyrography series continues
• Loren Woodard's Notes From the Net features comments on Carving the human head; Work Holders, Relief Carving, Clay Models and Painting
  

Carve On!

Matt Kelley, Editor