.. L.........!...........................!.............................R Grayson Enterprises Ltd. First NA Seria! Rights Page 1 Approximate!y 1,250 words ELSE BIGTON -NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN FOLK ARTIST Written by June Grayson Photographed by Richard Grayson Yoõ don'ô neeä tï bå Norwegiaî tï appreciatå thå mu!tip!å ta!entó oæ E!så Bigton¬ fo!ë artisô oæ Barronett¬ Wisconsin® Thougè shå earnó heò !ivinç aó á cabineô makeò anä wooä carver¬ shå ió a!sï á ski!!eä weaver and knife maker. E!så Bigtoî anä heò husband¬ Phi!!ið Odden¬ arå co-owneró oæ thå Norsë Wooä Workó oæ Barronett® Theù producå one-of-a-kinä heir!oomó owneä anä treasured¬ sï far¬ bù peop!å froí fortù stateó anä teî countries. E!så waó borî iî Aa!esund¬ Norway¬ wherå heò fami!ù sti!¡ !ives® Shå is a graduate of a Norwegian trade schoo| in weaving. Buô iô waó aô thå prestigiouó Hjer!iä Tradå Schoo¡ foò woodca#veró aô Dovre¬ Gudbrandsda!en¬ Norway¬ thaô shå befriendeä aî ŠAmericaî studenô whï cou!ä bare!ù speaë anä understanä Norwegian® Shå waó sï he!pfu!, in fact, that Phil!ip Odden soon presented her .PA Š .. L.........!.............................................................R witè á "manglå board¢ whicè hå haä carveä himse!f® Accordinç tï Norwegiaî fo!ë custom¬ iæ thå womaî acceptó thå mang!å boarä shå haó accepteä á marriagå proposa!® Theù weä iî traditiona¡ Norwegiaî costumå iî E!se's home town in December, 1978. Iî 197¹ theù graduateä froí thå Hjer!iä Schoo¡ wherå E!så specializeä in cabinet making and Phi!!ip in carving. Fe÷ countrieó havå á richeò traditioî oæ thå arô oæ woodcarvinç thaî Norway® Arroganô dragonó froí thå powerfu¡ arô oæ thå Vikingó decorateä thå Norwegiaî "stave¢ churcheó pecu!iaò tï Norwaù abouô 1,30° A.D® Wheî Christianitù spreaä intï Norway¬ thå carveró addeä thå cross¬ grapevine¬ acanthuó !eaf¬ anä thå symbo!iã !ionó anä eag!eó oæ thå Crusaders® Eveî wheî thå Industria¡ Revo!utioî transformeä thå resô oæ Europe¬ iô a!mosô bypasseä Norway® Sï thå o!ä Norsemeî continueä tï carvå iî wood® Iô waó noô unusua¡ foò severa¡ generationó tï uså thå samå house and furnishings. Iô ió thió cu!turå thaô E!så anä Phi!!ið perpetuatå iî theiò !ifå iî Wisconsin. Thougè theù worë together¬ E!så anä Phi!!ið worë independent!ù according to the!r special skills and strenqths. "Wå don'ô takå #uidancå verù welì froí eacè otheò sï wå havå £ founä we work best by not interfering," E!se says. Thougè E!så maù appeaò de!icate¬ shå ió ski!!eä iî thå uså oæ thå hugå e!ectrica¡ woodworkinç too!s® "Sincå É waó traineä aó á cabineô maker,¢ exp!ainó E!se¬ "É wi!¡ dï thå technica¡ drawing® É wilì figurå ouô thå dimensions and how things shou!d be put together." Theù buù !umbeò froí !oca¡ Wisconsiî sawmi!!s¬ aiò drù #t¬ anä Š se!ecô it for the proper grain direction, uniformity, density, .PA Š .. L.........!............................................................R --'- -, -_-, -."-#" anä moisturå content® E!så wi!¡ uså anù wooä thaô á c!ienô maù requesô buô shå preferó tï carvå iî butternut® Birch¬ pine¬ anä baswooä arå alsï popular. Shå transferó heò origina¡ designó tï thå wooä anä carveó theî entire!ù bù hanä sometimeó usinç aó manù aó 6° differenô too!ó foò onå design® Jusô tï keeð heò too!ó sharð ió á demandinç task® Iô takeó timå anä concentratioî tï achievå thå comp!icateä patterns® Europeaî joininç te##niqueó a!!o÷ thå wooä tï expanä oò contracô aó thå weatheò changes® Shå mixeó heò owî wateò baså stainó anä useó á penetratinç oiì finish. Sma!¡ pieceó sucè aó boxes¬ mirrors¬ she!ves¬ anä frameó caî bå madå iî á fe÷ weeks® Largeò pieceó sucè aó á dininç rooí tab!eó anä chairó maù takå severa¡ monthó oæ work® Babù crad!eó arå popu!aò itemó ordereä bù dotinç grandparents® Priceó varù dependinç oî thå wooä used¬ thå size of the item, and the intricacy of the carving. Usua!!ù E!så anä Phi!lið wi!¡ worë oî orderó accordinç to.ß theiò sch#du!es® However¬ somå women¬ especia!!y¬ wi!¡ requesô thaô E!så makå anä sigî theiò order¬ appreciatinç thå facô thaô therå arå not many wor!d-famous women woodcarvers. Iî fact¬ thió summeò E!så goeó foò thå "go!d¢ - aî honoò bestoweä tï thå winneró oæ eighô pointó iî á year!ù jurieä competitioî sponsored by the Vesterheim, the Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa. Carveró maù enteò threå carvingó iî eacè year!ù contesô anä Š arå awardeä threå pointó foò á b!uå ribbon¬ twï pointó foò á red¬ anä onå poinô for a white. Entrants do not need to be Norwegian .PA Š .. L!.........!.......................................................R but they must carve in the Norwegian sty!e. E!så haó woî siø pointó iî previouó competitions® Thió  yeaò shå p!anó tï enteò threå pieces¬ onå oæ whicè ió á Kub#esto!®  Á Kubbestoì waó thå onlù chaiò founä iî thå Norwegiaî peasanô homå  anä waó reserveä foò thå heaä oæ thå househo!d® Iô ió carveä froí  á singlå !og¬ ho!loweä ouô sï thaô thå baså concea!ó storagå anä  thå bacë continues upward to form a !ong and comfortab!e curve. Wheî E!så winó thå go!ä meda!¬ shå wi!¡ bå thå firsô  womaî tï dï so® Thå Vesterheií haó previous!ù honoreä siø ma!å  woodcarvers, one of whom is Phi!!ip Odden. Thå threå daù Nordiã Fesô wi!¡ bå he!ä thió yeaò oî Ju!ù  26¬ 27¬ anä 28th® E!så anä Phi¡ wi!¡ a!sï exhibiô the!ò worë thió  summeò aô Door County, Wisconsin, and the Host Fest at Minot, South Dakota. Thå Koh!eò Museum¬ oæ Sheboygan¬ Wisconsin¬ haó pickeä  samp!eó oæ E!så anä Phi!'ó worë aó parô oæ á twï yeaò trave!inç  exhibiô oæ Wisconsin folk art. Iæ yoõ gï througè Decorah¬ Iowa¬ oî á vacation¬ stoð anä eaô aô McDona!d's. It is decorated in the Norwegian Viking sty!e and disp!ays 30 of their carvings. Oò p!aî tï visiô thå Norwegiaî Pavi!ioî aô Epcoô Center¬  Disneywor!d¬ F!orida¬ wheî iô ió finisheä iî 1988® Theiò nameó arå  a!readù oî disp!aù there¬ aó twï oæ thå threå Americaî woodcarver£  anä twï Norwegiaî woodcarveró tï bå askeä tï contributå theiò worë  foò thió permanent exhibition. Oò iæ yoõ drivå througè northwesô Wisconsin¬ visiô thå  showroomó oæ the Scandinavian Import shop owned by Phi!'s mother Š .PA Š .. L!........!!.........................................................R Page 5, GEL, Biqton iî Barronett® Oò visiô thå workroomó themseiveó wheî theù holä Opeî  Houså oî Friday and Saturday of every Thanksgiving weekend. Iô ió onlù iî thå eveningó thaô Elså haó timå tï weavå anä  makå knives® "É earî mù !ivinç aó á cabineô makeò anä carver¬ buô É  !ovå tï weave." Shå acceptó orderó foò weavinç anä kniveó jusô sï shå caî  keeð uð her skills. Iô ió iî thå "junk¢ rooí oæ theiò homå iî á converteä  countrù schoo!houså neaò Barronetô surroundeä bù thå woodó anä !akeó  thaô shå !oveó thaô Elså keepó heò Swedisè !oom® "É picë ouô mù woo¡  iî Norwaù wheî É visiô therå everù otheò yeaò anä havå iô shippeä  oveò becauså thaô ió whaô É aí useä tï workinç with® Thå hardesô  parô oæ weavinç ió tï seô uð thå !ooí itse!æ - tï seô uð thå righô  tensionó oæ thå threaä anä tiå thå patterî intï it® Afteò thaô ió  done¬ it'ó just fun to sit and p!ay with the peda!s," according to E!se. E!så !earneä knife-makinç bù takinç á weeë !onç courså onå  yeaò aô thå Vesterheim® "Oæ course¬ iô he!peä thaô É waó ab!å tï  understanä thå visitinç Norwegiaî instructor,¢ E!så smi!es® Shå madå  á be!ô knifå anä sheatè foò á presenô foò Phi¡ whicè hå wearó a!¡ oæ  thå time® No÷ shå p!anó tï makå hií á "twin¢ knifå seô foò hió be!t®  "Twiî knives are common for men in Norway," Else explains. "É starô ouô witè á f!aô sheeô oæ !eatheò foò thå sheatè  anä threå pieces of stee!, one hard piece and two soft pieces. I Š !ike to use birch bur! for the hand!e, and then I use si!ver or brass for the cap." .PA Š .. L.........!..............................................................R Á twiî knifå seô maù takå E!så onå hundreä houró oæ "evening¢ worë anä cosô morå thaî $125.00® However¬ sucè kniveó arå meanô tï lasô á lifetime and in Norway are passed down as treasured fami!y heirlooms. Elså haó neveò a!!oweä heò left-handednesó tï bå á handicað althougè maù too!ó arå designeä foò thå righô handed® "Yoõ jusô !earî tï worë arounä it,¢ E!så exp!ains® "Righô handeä p!astiã scissoró caî rea!!ù hurt® Witè hanä too!ó iô doesn'ô makå anù difference® Iî fact¬ carveró arå supposeä tï bå ambidextrous® Thaô waù yoõ caî jusô switcè handó aó needed¬ rather tham move around the piece on which you are carving." "É diä havå tï geô á jigsa÷ madå tï á ne÷ design¬ however® Thå olä one blew air into my eyes every time I used it," Else says. "#rOwin£ uð aó á left-handeä chi!ä iî Norway¬ É hearä manù horroò stories,¢ continueó E!se® "Parentó wou!ä tiå thå !efô handó behinä their chid!ren's backs to force them to use the right hands." "É waó morå fortunate® Thirteeî studentó ouô oæ mù c!asó oæ 2¶ .iî schoo! were !eft-handed. So no one tried to change any of us!" Am#ricaî co!!ectoró havå madå fo!ë arô á hoô item® Iî additioî toß its beauty and emotiona! appea!, ethnic art is practica! for every day use. Interesting!ù enough¬ E!så anä Phi¡ havå manù customeró froí Norwaù itse!æ becauså woodcarveró iî Norwaù caî nï !ongeò afforä tï worë fu!!timå aô carving® Indeed¬ E!så anä Phi¡ maù bå thå on!ù Norwegian- Americaî woodcarveró whï arå ab!å tï supporô themse!veó bù workinç iî theiò chosen field. Througè heò mu!tip!å ta!ents¬ thió Norwegiaî immigranô contributeó heò owî brighô strandó tï thå co!orfu¡ fabriã oæ contemporarù American !ife. Š ####### .PA Š