Phil Williams
A charter member of NAWA, Phil has been carving just about forever and can carve anything you can imagine. He was a member of the group that carved the magnificent eagle that can be found in the lobby of the Guntersville State Park lodge and you can view a picture of the eagle on our ABOUT page. He is absolutely famous (or infamous) for his creative and humorous combo carvings such as the "Hummule", a hummingbird when viewed from one angle and a mule from another. He served as a proud member of the 101st Airborne Division and has many heart-warming and entertaining stories about those years. Phil is a warm and generous person and you can always count on him to offer a helping hand in any undertaking. Students (and in fact, all of us) are very fortunate to have his expertise and experience to draw upon.
Tom Horn
Tom is a past president of NAWA and he and his wife Sandy, our Show Chair for many years, are long-time extremely active members of NAWA. Tom is a retired Navy pilot and has traveled extensively. While Tom truly carves everything, he says his favorite technique is relief carving and carving jewelry. He discovered pyrography a few years ago and has been winning awards in that category ever since. Tom is also a wood turner and especially likes turning pens. One example of his talent is the incredibly beautiful pens he has made with chittamwood scraps leftover from the club's walking stick project. He and Sandy open their home in Gurley almost every Saturday for Open Carving. They only ask that you call first to be sure they are in town and have no other obligations. Their contact info can be found on the Open Carving link above.
Jim Nelson
Jim is retired from teaching but we owe him a huge vote of thanks for all the years he devoted to teaching and mentoring our club members in Chip Carving. Jim started carving in 1989 when he lived in Minnesota and at that time carved mainly caricatures. Fortunately for us, he and his wife Ellie (who served as club secretary for many years), found their way to Huntsville where he joined the club and discovered Chip Carving. The rest, as they say, is history. Jim's body of work encompasses everything from ornaments, to plates, to eggs, boxes, and beyond. His precision and detail are breathtaking. Take a look at any of the Show Winner galleries to see examples of his incredible work.
D Boyd
D is ready to help anyone, any time, any place. All of us rely on his extensive knowledge and generous spirit. He spends an incredible amount of his own time cutting carving blanks for club members' use and in researching new projects for everyone in the club. He can usually be found wherever a few carvers are gathered together. An expert carver, he began carving back in the 80's. D can, and does, carve anything but is most partial to his stunning hummingbird and commemorative ribbon pins.
Dan Pritchett
Dan has been a member of NAWA and a carver since 1999. He is a very active member and has served as president of the club for 3 terms in the past. He is now invaluable in his role as Publicity Chairman, promoting and assisting with the annual shows and other activities. Dan has been teaching for several years. His favorite carving technique is caricatures, both human and animal - in the round. Students are indeed fortunate to have Dan as a mentor and will enjoy his creative class projects.
