Wayne Barton, Your Tour Guide

Wayne Barton is a professional woodcarver who lives in Park Ridge, Illinois with his Swiss born wife Marlies. First given an interest in woodcarving at the age of five by his Norwegian grandfather, he has had a love of carving all his life.

Wayne took his formal training in Brienz, Switzerland, the woodcarving center of that country. Although versed in all disciplines of carving, he specializes in chip carving and has devoted almost forty years to its advancement. He is recognized as the driving force of the renaissance this style of carving is enjoying in the United States.

Wayne Barton is the author of seven best selling books on chip carving published in six countries. He has also developed and pioneered the most popular chip carving knives and ceramic sharpening stones used today. Wayne is the founder of the Alpine School of Woodcarving, Ltd., the oldest establishment in North America dedicated to the education, teaching, and encouragement of chip carving. In addition, he teaches at a variety of other venues including art and craft schools, colleges, clubs, and organizations in the United States, Canada, Norway and Switzerland. He is also a visiting artist/lecturer at the Chicago Art Institute.

Named Woodcarver of the Year in the United States in 2005, Wayne Barton’s work has been recognized and honored in special exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, Switzerland. His carvings are sought after by collectors and can be found in private collections around the world.