Jack Richardson has been carving for over thirty years and is mostly self-taught. The idea to start carving came on a whim. Seeking to emulate the work his father, an accomplished artist, who had carved a fascinating human head out of a bar of soap and not being able to find a large enough bar of soap, Jack settled for an old piece of 2x4” pine. He liked the carving he made with that wood and that started the fire that is in him today. The National Wood Carvers Association was a great help in providing Richardson with information for refining his carving technique.

His subjects have nearly all been of the human figure, attempting to show their emotions and feelings. Many of Richardson’s ideas came from old photographs of people during the “Great Depression”. Richardson has found that a facial expression, body position, and the condition of hands can say so much about a person. Richardson is a self confessed “people watcher” with the New York City subway system having a great influence on him.

Richardson works with hardwoods such as basswood, butternut and walnut. He’ll start with a mallet and chisel and progress to a gouge (a special tool for detail work). He likes to use a “Dremel” tool with very small bits to finish up the detail. For very small work, like eyebrows, Richardson uses a small burning tool. He doesn’t paint the carvings in an effort to maintain the beauty of the wood grain. Pieces are finished with stain and lacquer to accentuate the details. Waxing the wood gives it a soft glow.

Capturing the feelings and emotions of people and saving them in the warmth of wood is Richardson's satisfaction.