Pine Bluffs resident, Gary Nadeau, works his carving magic on a turkey. Nadeau has been doing woodcarving since 2005.

Gary Nadeau thought he had no talent, but a vacation in the Black Hills changed his perspective. Now his artwork commands a minimum of $500 per piece. On a vacation in 2004, Nadeau visited the National Museum of Woodcarving in Custer, S.D. The video he saw there made him think a talent might lurk within him.

“The video said they gave lessons,” Nadeau explained. “I signed up and went the next year.”

Not having the tools he needed while learning the new skill of woodcarving, he became frustrated by Wednesday of the week-long class.

“I was so frustrated I thought I would never do it again,” Nadeau said. “I’ve been back every year since and pick up new tips and procedures every year I go. I never realized I have any talent at all. They teach you to carve and paint.”

The instructors are Kirt Curtis of Iowa who teaches wildlife carving and Marlin Downing, who teaches bird carving.

Since 2005, Nadeau has learned and earned — he estimates he has completed 30 to 40 pieces, many of which have won awards at the Laramie County Fair and a People’s Choice award and a first place at the Veterans Administration Art Show. He has given some pieces away and sold some. Attendees to the 2012 Trail Days celebration in Pine Bluffs can look for a carving of a buffalo and its calf at the silent auction to be held by the United Methodist Church. He has also donated a Bengal Tiger to Rossman Elementary School in Cheyenne. It is a traveling “trophy” earned by individual classes. He has been asked to undertake carving Thunder, the Burns Bronc, but sees it as a difficult task with the horse standing on one hoof.To make each of his creations, Nadeau begins with a block of Basswood, which comes from the Linden tree. The wood is light but tight and holds carving well. He says many people mistake the wood for Balsa due to it being light-weight. Nadeau purchases rough outs, wood already prepared with a router for carving, if he can. He does have a router, but prefers not to do that work himself.

“It’s not fun taking away,” he said. “It’s boring and takes a long time.”

Since he started woodcarving, Nadeau has moved his workshop from an outbuilding on his property to a room in his home. With its close proximity, when boredom hits he can head into his shop and carve. All told, Nadeau estimates one piece takes 40 to 60 hours of work, which includes the carving and the finishing touch of painting. The birds require airbrushing, so that is also a newly acquired skill.

While Nadeau said it was not expensive to begin this hobby, in the years since he started he has obtained several thousand dollars worth of tools. For continued training, he returns to the Black Hills and checks out other classes offer throughout the country.

“You could travel the United States and go from carving seminar to carving seminar,” he said. “It’s surprising.”

Nadeau is interested in sharing his skills and the hobby itself with others who would like to learn. He is  willing to teach the basics, with the student creating a figurine of a cowboy or cowgirl in a week’s time.

“I’d love to get a half a dozen people who would be interested in learning,” Nadeau said. “Then I could get one of the teachers to come or I could teach a basic class.”

Nadeau welcomed the opportunity to display his work at the Pine Bluffs Branch Library, where an exhibit of his carvings will be until the end of January. He would also welcome other occasions to show his work.

“There are a lot of talented people in town,” he said. “I would like to see someone sponsor an art show.”

For now, Nadeau encourages everyone to “go down to the library and take a look” at his display. He also urged anyone interested in classes to give him a call at 245-3851.