David has managed to achieve that happy balance of bringing his previous experience and creative passions together into his daily work. He shares this through his stunning Instagram feed @thewhittlings
During photography courses in Wernog Wood, we hear David encourage students to tell a story through a small selection of images - literally a well curated snapshot of their day. As we scroll through David’s Instagram photo grid, we see a year in nature described, season by season alongside the work that he is focusing on at that time.
Last year David set himself the challenge of carving a unique spoon every week, often focusing on different purposes and cultures, each spoon broadening his skills as a whittler. He sets himself similar projects making platters and bowls. This year David is focusing on expanding his workshop into a bigger space, allowing growth into contemporary stool and bench design.
Starting out his creative career in design and landscape photography, David’s work took him in the direction of culinary photography for high-end restaurants. As part of this role, he began making props from old wood sourced in Wales, which caught the eye of chefs, who then asked for more. David now makes his daily crust doing exactly that; making wooden platters, bowls and cutlery for some of the best restaurants around the country.
Luckily for you, David is willing to share these skills in Wernog Wood, offering photography in nature as well as spoon carving courses. His next photography course is just a couple of weeks away on 18th May, focusing on water and woodlands followed by another on 13 October exploring the Clwydian hills with your camera. Click here for photography details
Our first spoon carving course is a weekend of whittling a Welsh cawl spoon and a contemporary love spoon on 1-2 July, and the second is one day on 4th November.
