About the Artist

Because of teaching, my interest in carving was always on hold, never having the time to really pursue my interest. With the birth of our daughter and my newly acquired position as Mr. Mom, I had more time to try my hand at carving.  This hobby began to attract the attention of family, friends, neighbors, and teaching colleagues and to date I've sold or given as gifts thousands of pieces.  My interest in carving and my elementary teaching experience has now led to my teaching of adult Celtic woodcarving classes.

Wayne Cruze, Celtic Carver

I was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and through frequent visits to the Smoky Mountains I acquired an interest in the arts of the region, particularly woodcarving.  I attended Cleveland State University.  I was graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Elementary Education and taught in Worthington, Ohio and Cape Coral, Florida.

My original interest was that of carving Santa Clauses, which I still enjoy and collect.  The intrigue of Celtic knotwork has become of significant interest to me because of my daughter's involvement in Irish dancing.  I have been carving for 23 years.  I specialize in hand-carving Celtic knotwork in the lids of wooden boxes, as well as other pieces such as wall plaques, paddles, Celtic crosses, wine bottle and glass holders, necklace chests, lazy susans, and other miscellaneous pieces.  My carvings are created using basswood, also known as Linden, a wood widely used for carving because it takes details beautifully and can be carved in any direction.  The characteristics of basswood allow the precise designs of Celtic knotwork to be carved into the surface by hand, using carving knives and gouges.  After the pieces are carved, they are stained and waxed by hand to bring out the intricate design.  Of all the subjects I've carved, nothing has peaked my interest quite like the carving of Celtic designs.  The variety and complexity varies greatly with each knot presenting a unique challenge.