Although Stefan Tkachyk was born and raised in Ukraine's wheat country, he had been fascinated since childhood by the woodcarving arts of the Hutsul folk of the Carpathians. He had always wanted to learn how to do this work, and found his opportunity in 1944, when he was in a prisoner of war camp in Rimini, Italy, near some Hutsul woodcarvers. Making his tools out of bits of steel from a burnt-out German tank, he tried his hand. He still has his first piece, an album cover.
Mr. Tkachyk has lived in Tucson for many years now. Until his recent retirement, he worked in the power plant at St. Joseph's Hospital. In his spare time he carved bowls, boxes, album covers, picture frames, crosses, and most recently, napkin holders. He has also taught his skills to several younger carvers.
Steve Tkachyk has two basic styles of woodcarving. In one, he incises lines into the surface of the wood, and then fills them with different colors of paint. In the other he uses incising and chip carving techniques to make geometric patterns in his wood. The rougher carving stands out against the polished background. He then insets tiny glass beads into the wood, following the outline of the patterns he has carved.
Carving for Steve Tkachyk represents many things. It is a way of getting the satisfaction a craftsman derives from doing a piece of work well, and a way of serving his friends and fellow Ukrainian Americans in Tucson by making beautiful things for them. It is also a way to remember his homeland and family, many of whom he hasn't seen for over forty years. It is an honor to have this wonderful folk artist with us at Tucson Meet Yourself. |
