By Mark Aker
I was born and raised in central Illinois on a large farm with my parents and four other siblings. Being the oldest son, I was up before school for chores and hurried home after school for more chores. Farm life involves the entire family, and though I didn’t think about it at the time, I’m blessed to have been raised learning to work for the things I wanted or needed. I have always enjoyed working with my hands. My dad was a carpenter and I helped him complete several small home remodeling projects as a teenager.
Tina and I were married in 1983 and moved to South Carolina in July of 1995. We will celebrate 40 years of marital bliss this November. I attended Midlands Tech and worked as an HVAC technician before being hired at the University of South Carolina as a Mechanical Supervisor. I retired in 2019, and am currently filling my retirement years with traveling, working out at the gym, volunteering at my church, and carving as much as possible.
My woodcarving journey began in 1985 after attending a woodcarving meeting with a bunch of “old” guys in the basement of a church in Illinois. It was fascinating to watch what could be produced from a block of wood, and it wasn’t long before I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough of the craft; I attended carving shows, read every magazine article available, entered competition events, and thoroughly enjoyed participating in anything related to woodcarving. Though I have won many awards throughout my years of carving, the one I am most proud of is Santa dragging his Christmas tree home through the snow. It was chosen as the overall winner in the 2007 Woodcarving Illustrated National Santa Carving Contest. Exposure from that competition brought attention to my name in the carving world. That success, along with the explosion of the internet, ultimately turned my “hobby” into a solid business.
Working with wood is my way to relax and release stress. Spending time in my woodshop listening to great Christian mu- sic and settling into a new carving project is my idea of the perfect day. For anyone contemplating beginning wood carving, I would suggest that you start as you would with any other hobby: practice, practice, and then practice some more. Attend or watch as many seminars as you can, as each teacher has a different way of creating, preparing, and presenting projects. As you learn these different techniques, your individual style will emerge. Also, please wear all the recommended safety items related to woodcarving such as a leather apron or a cut-proof glove. They may seem like a nuisance, but they can prevent a serious cut or even a trip to the emergency room for stitches!
Mark can be reached for teaching seminars, competition judging, rough-out, and completed carvings sales at: [email protected]
To access Mark’s online instructional courses: WoodCarvingAcademy.com
