27 July 2012

After spending a few days on Brighton beach after a summer where the sun has been elusive to say the least, I'm starting to believe that international stereotypes of us Brits are more accurate than I had first thought. I have a theory that it is in fact the lack of Vitamin D rather than lager that enables our inner-lout to emerge. We should be proud that, rather than get rickets, we respond in a more positive, albeit less elegant way. One hint of sunshine and we abandon our inhibitions, shed our clothes and down our weight in Pimms – substituting England flags for factor 50. This may be a generalisation, but I have been feeling so sun-starved I have started to wonder whether this sort of behaviour is the English equivalent of a rain-dance.

Thinking about our English passtimes has made me consider the effect of our nationality on what we carve and how. For example, on seeing some of the entries from around the world into International Woodcarver of the Year it is amazing to see how greatly where we're from inspires the subject matter of our art. I don't want to give too much away, so instead I'll just say that this really brings home how wonderful the global appeal of carving is. This is why I think our new 'Reader Showcase' and 'Club Profile' features are doing so very well, because they offer a rare insight into what carvers the other side of the world are up to! This is the perfect way to get inspiration and it is also incredibly interesting. After all, being a bit nosey is just healthy curiosity.

On that note, happy carving!

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