It all started with a piece of wood and a kitchen knife.
"I was kind of rough when I first started," Joe Basile said of his more primitive beginnings. Today, his carving hobby has taken on a variety of new dimensions, and with them, more expensive tools.
"It's time consuming, but I like it," said Joe who was pleased to explain that his growing pastime is not just enjoyable, it also helps all of the cold winter months pass more quickly.
While living in Alaska for 30 years, Philadelphia native Joe Basile not only met his wife Gloria who was born and raised in Dent, but he also started dabbling with the idea of carving. Joe's Alaskan wood of choice was diamond willow, but he never really got into the hobby until he and his wife moved to the Dent area ten years ago.
Here, he discovered the strength and durability of cedar and the soft, workable qualities of basswood. Joe starts each carving by picking out a block of wood and then beginning work on it in his garage. He does all of the "rough cutting", a carver's term for the large chunks of wood that need to be removed to create the general shape of the object, out in the garage/workshop next to his home.
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After the block of wood begins to take on the approximate form of his desired creation, Joe takes the project inside to begin the skilled process of perfecting the carving. Most of Joe's detail work is done right at the kitchen table.
While he has painted a few of his carvings, most of the final painting touches are completed by his wife Gloria. She uses acrylic paint on t he carvings, paying close attention to details like feathers on birds or shadows on an animal being carved.
"I can't get all of the credit for the carvings," Joe admitted, "because Gloria does most of the painting."
For Joe, it is not uncommon to spend 60 or 70 hours working on a detailed carving, with Gloria's painting taking an additional 30 hours. While it is certainly a lengthy process, the couple enjoys what they do. In addition to working on the carvings, Gloria is also a talented artist with an array of paintings on display in their home.
The completed carvings range from workable duck decoys to artistic creations of a shore bird, a swan, a loon, an eagle, and various types of ducks. Joe sees the native animals he encountered both in Alaska and at his home outside of the city of Dent as inspirations for his carvings. His favorite is a pintail duck carving.
Joe has also begun carving Christmas ornaments and figurines featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus. Each Santa has a different expression, and unique apparel, creating creative and expressive holiday items. At Christmas time, Joe was proud to provide family members with some of his Santa carvings, which were well-received.
With the support of the "3 Fingers Carving Club," Joe has discovered a leisure pursuit that he loves sharing with others. "I get a piece of wood and I get excited because I want to get something out of that piece of wood," he shared.
Although his carvings have generated a lot of interest, Joe is steadfast in his desire to keep his hobby burden-free.
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"If I start selling the carvings, it becomes a job," he said. To date, he has only sold one carving-- largely out of a curiosity about the monetary value of a carving.
He does enjoy being able to give his carvings to friends and relatives. Joe currently has so many requests from people to have him carve them something that he has to tell people he simply does not have time. In addition to individuals, Joe has donated carvings to a local library and retirement home.
There was a special display of his work set up at Farmers State Bank in Dent last month. Joe said that the display generated several compliments and questions from interested patrons.
As is true with any dedicated artist, Joe is constantly looking for new ways to improve his carvings and test the limits of his skills. Carvings he envisions creating in the future include a hawk flying with a snake in its talons and a pair of loons with two babies on the female's back.
