Carving expert appearing at show

Frontiersman staff

Iditarod Days show set for March 3-4 at mall

WASILLA — As part of the Iditarod Days celebration, the Valley Artists Guild is hosting an arts and crafts show and sale at the Cottonwood Creek Mall March 3-4.

The featured artist at the show is Doreen Jenkins.

Independent judges at monthly guild meetings select the

featured artists for shows the organization hold throughout the year.

Jenkins' path to becoming a master carver started when someone told her to put a dream on hold because women didn't work with wood.

Jenkins has lived in Alaska since 1963 and has been interested in wood her entire life. In 1955, she told her high school counselor she wanted to be a carpenter, but was told no employer would hire a woman carpenter.

As it to prove her counselor wrong, Jenkins teamed with her husband to build a house 12 years later.

It was in that house where she got her first taste of carving.

Without the benefit of formal training, she carved the mantelpiece and side panels of the home.

She was able to devote more time to her hobby when her three sons went to college, and she has since developed into one of the premier carvers.

She does not paint the wood, but instead picks wood that accents the subject she will be carving. The different colors of the selected woods provide the accents to the carvings.

She has developed a line of carved pin-sized animals and fish, using exotic woods — polar bears are made of English holly, puffins have nine inlays of naturally colored wood and halibut are made of rich maple.

Jenkins also carves plates, clocks and crosses using a variety of techniques such as European chip carving.

A wedding plate Jenkins crafted won best of show at a recent Fur Rendezvous wood-carving display, and she has won two division championships and six first-place awards at previous Rondy displays.

Jenkins will be at the March 3-4 show demonstrating wood carving. She will also have items for sale.

The Valley Artists Guild arts and craft show and sale runs from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on March 3 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 4.