Who are you?  My name is Blake Lunsford and I am married to Rachel, and father to Haley who is 13 years old.  I am a Supervisor for the Virginia Department of Social Services, and have been the main sound technician for my church for about the last 8 years.  When I am not carving, I enjoy making knives, playing the banjo, and spending time with my family and friends.   

What do you mainly carve?  I primarily like to carve Santas, Caricatures, Snowmen, Dogs, Pumpkin caricatures, and wood spirits.  I like to carve things with funny facial features and flowing hair and try to add a touch of realism when painting eyes.

Where are you from? I am originally from Abingdon, Virginia, which is a small historic town in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia.  I currently live in Bristol, Tennessee, which is known as the Birthplace of Country Music, State Street (where you can be in Virginia and Tennessee at the same time), and Nascar's Bristol Motor Speedway.

When did you start carving?  My first experience with carving was in a Wood Spirit carving class with Lee Warren at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  That was in 2001.  I really got serious about carving when my wife was pregnant with my daughter in 2005. 

What was your inspiration?  I have always enjoyed making things with my hands and at the end having something to show for the work I have done.  I found that carving was very satisfying, and I could see the improvements and progress I was making.  I have had the opportunity to make some great friends in the woodcarving community who have been very welcoming and forthcoming with tips and tricks about woodcarving.  I have to believe that woodcarvers are some of the nicest and most helpful people that I have ever been around.

How do you like to carve?  I have carved for years in any place that I could find where I could make wood chips.  I found that it ended up being mostly at the kitchen table.  I have learned as I get older that a quality light source is important to be able to see the piece you are working on.  A couple of years ago my wife and I turned a spare bedroom into a craft room and built a designated bench so she can make hand painted signs and I can do woodcarving projects.  We installed quality lighting, and this allows me to be in the main part of the house while spending time carving.  I carve mainly basswood and butternut, but also like to carve cottonwood bark.  I recently got into making my own carving knives, and find it most satisfying to carve something with a knife that I have made out of a piece of steel and a block of wood.  I hope to start selling wood carving knives that are good quality and easily affordable for the everyday carver.