Janel Jacobson

Making the Transition.

Before carving in wood, Janel talked to other carvers, like a West Virginia spoon-carver who would let Janel "bend his ear" for hours. But aside from looking and listening, there is little better than just doing. Most of Janel's carving skills were developed independently. She would frequently observe works and figure out techniques on her own.

#331 Bird Spoon 2000 Boxwood, pecan stain. 2.9 x .8 x 1.25 inches 7.3 x 2.0 x 3.0 cm

Beyond technique, there were and are other issues: Isolation from other netsuke carvers, for one. According to Janel, it is not a commonly practiced art form in the United States and, "I don't speak Japanese, so that's a problem." She does stay in touch with several other netsuke carvers -- but one is in Australia, another in England. She is also isolated from many of her clients. To overcome that, the Internet and e-mail have become useful tools. Using the Internet, says Janel, keeps her "connected to a very spread-out group."

Clouds & Trees Swirling clouds and tiny trees carved from the pit of a peach. Peach Pit (#325 - 2000) .8 x .8 x .7 inches