Anton Prikazchikov poses with several of his spoons, including an elephant head spoon that won first place in the spoon carving category for the 2021 New England Woodcarvers annual competition. Photos by Tig Tillinghast.
For the Winter 2024 issue of Northern Woodlands, outgoing Executive Director Elise Tillinghast and her husband, photographer Tig Tillinghast, put together a brief feature article focused on the work of spoon carver Anton Prikazchikov, a frequent wood carving instructor at AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and the food service director for New Hampshire’s Mascoma Valley Regional High School. The article includes Prikazchikov’s instructions for how to make a stop-cut handled spoon – a common project in his introductory classes.
Here are six photos that didn’t make it into the print magazine, but offer greater insight into Prikazchikov’s work and creative process.
Prikazchikov’s mounted wooden models show sequential stages between a rough-cut blank and finished spoon. They serve as a visual aid for new carvers.
This photo shows Prikazchikov in his home workspace, in the early stages of creating a new spoon from a blank he cut using a coping saw.
Although some wood carvers prefer to use round-bladed knives to hollow out spoon bowls, Prikazchikov opts for a palm chisel, as shown here, because he has found that this tool offers more control.
This photo shows the finished spoon that appears in the Northern Woodlands magazine article. Prikazchikov has added the elements of a flat, open bowl and decorative cutouts to the basic stop-cut handle design.
Prikazchikov creates and sells a variety of decorative spoons, including some with leaf forms and others with more abstract design elements.