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Don Green
Diamond Willow Canes
Diamond willow cane carving is a specialty of the Upper
Midwest and western Canada, where certain varieties of willow form
diamond-shaped blisters after their branches are infected by a fungus. Don Green
of Rapid City says he’s always had a gift of manual dexterity and an artistic
eye, which he used in his business as a metal fabricator and later in a wood
carving shop he owned. Don started carving in about 1980 and was influential in
starting the Hay Camp Woodcarvers Club of Rapid City. For his apprentices he
chose three other members of the club—Hilary Cole, Garold Engel and Gary
Teaney—who expressed interest in learning this regional art form. The four men, all retired, spent many happy days exploring
in the Black Hills and around Belle Fourche for willow sticks, and then working
together on carving techniques. They use power drills with various bits to carve
around the diamonds and highlight them, then add other carvings of their own
choosing—animals, leaves, flowers or geometric designs—to express their own
artistic vision. All of them emphasize that the canes or walking sticks are made
to be used, and Don did use one of his canes after hip surgery in the spring of
2003. Don and his apprentices have now started teaching other members of the club about diamond willow carving, so this tradition is alive and well in western South Dakota.
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