Plains carvers participate in, judge Missoula show

Judges for this year's Montana Woodcarvers Association Show in Missoula spent almost four hours going over 202 pieces to select the best of the best.

Three of the four judges this year are Plains residents - Kristen Cole, Ilene Paulsen and Rita Rothlisberger - along with Carolyn Majors of Stevensville. Fifty-eight carvers participated in the show, including Plains residents Scott Johnson, Janet and Dave Brandon, Darrell Sorenson, Karen and Sean Ryan, and Heather Allen.

Even though there were Plains carvers in the competition, their names were obscured so that judges couldn't see them, said Paulsen, who had never judged a carving contest before, even though she's been an artist for over 40 years. It was Majors that most likely judged the Plains carvers, most of which competed in the novice skill level.

Tom Collins, the primary coordinator of the show, and the president of the Plains Wood Carving Club, was the only Plains resident to compete at the expert level. He won a first place blue ribbon for his Montana Challenge entry of a 16-inch long, 8-inch wide, and 12-inch tall piece of a kneeling Indian he titled "Hunters." Collins also had a relief carving of Jesus with a cross that was for showing only. In addition, he captured the People's Choice Award for the entire show in the carving category for his Hunters entry.

The show included 40 different divisions from birds in the round to computer assisted carvings and included five types - carving, turnings, pyrography, and gourds - at the show and there were four skill levels present - novice, intermediate, advanced, and expert. There were 37 carvers in the novice class, 55 intermediates, 52 advanced, and 47 experts. They also had 16 in a display only class, seven in the Montana Challenge category, and seven in an unfinished object class.

There was a variety of work shown, from a four-foot long hippo rocking horse to the smallest, a cedar carving of a star by Plains resident Dave Brandon that got him a red ribbon for his first time entry in a show.

His wife, Janet, received a blue ribbon for her untitled 10-inch tall relief carving of a tree with a bird nest. Cole didn't judge Blandon's piece, but she saw it and was impressed with the way Blandon used the coloring of the wood for the leaves. "I thought it was beautifully done," said Cole, an art teacher at Plains High School that includes carving as part of the art curriculum.

The show was held at the Missoula County Fairgrounds over the weekend. Judging took place on Friday evening. Carvers came from throughout Montana, along with those from Washington, Idaho, and one from Saskatchewan, Canada. "I felt the show was a success. We were up 30 entries from last year," said Collins, who guessed that more than 200 people attended the show Saturday and Sunday.

The five Plains residents all went home with ribbons for their work. Allen received a blue ribbon for her nose licking dog and a red ribbon for her four-leaf clover. Johnson got a blue for his goose. Sean Ryan got a blue for his scroll saw piece of an intricate layered butterfly. His wife received blue ribbons for her buzzard, a dog, and her honey bee carving. Sorenson took blue ribbons with his gnome, a bear on a log, a snowman, and a cane, along with red ribbons on a bear, a deer relief, and for his two Santa pieces.

Collins said this was the first time the Montana Woodcarvers Association Show had used Plains judges or art teachers for judging. The three Plains judges felt there were a lot of beautiful carvings at the show. Paulsen judged 53 pieces and said she was surprised at the quality of the work. She was particularly amazed at wooden feathers that looked just like actual features. She also thought carvings of faces in cottonwood bark were exceptional. Paulsen is a professional artist that works primarily in watercolor and acrylic, but was inspired by the carvings and a chickadee carving demonstration by George Wilson of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Collins felt the judges' art teaching and professional art background played significant roles in their judging. "These judges broadened the criteria for judging and were encouraging instead of criticizing," he said. The judges attended the show Saturday to answer questions from carvers. All four judges were asked to return for the 2025 show.

Cole, a Plains High School art teacher for nearly 30 years, was also impressed with the carvings and said there were some "really incredible pieces" in the show. Cole said she was honored to be asked and looks forward to doing it again. She judged 37 carvings in the expert skill level and 15 intermediates. She was particularly impressed with the Canadian's relief of a group of flowers and said that each pedal had a unique and realistic look.

Cole works in several art mediums, including wood carving. She said the show has motivated her to do more carving. Although the show had a youth skill level class, there were no entries this year. Cole said she plans to encourage her students to participate in next year's competition and is going to have the wood carving unit earlier in the school year so they have time to finish and enter.

Rothlisberger, a retired school art teacher, works mainly in ceramics and was also amazed at the carvers' work. She judged an estimated 100 pieces Friday, mostly in the intermediate skill level. "I was just in awe of it. There were so many amazing projects," said Rothlisberger, who was so impressed with the carvers and Wilson's chickadee demonstration that she purchased different types of wood to do more wood carving at home. She added that visiting with the artists on Saturday was an extra bonus. "It gave me a lot of respect for the talent we have in our community."

The Plains Wood Carving Club has 13 members and meets every Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at VFW Post 3596 in Plains to work on their projects.