Carved and Decorated Treen with Charles Thompson

Carved and decorated treen, or handmade domestic objects made of wood, have been a part of daily life for thousands of years. Whether intended for use by the maker themself or as a gift for a loved one (or, not without historical precedent, a potential loved one – 💕romantic! 💕), this form has endured as a way to express personal sentiment. In this class, we’ll attempt to reconcile symbolic language with the everyday object.

Though the covered concepts are adaptable to other forms, participant’s focus will be on carving one of several types of combs. Templates from historical examples will be provided, but personal design and flourish is, of course, encouraged.

We’ll explore a number of decorative elements: pierced shapes, punched motifs, carved patterns and hand lettering. Our goal will be to establish a vocabulary of our own by selecting, reinterpreting, and arranging elements that can work together.