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Show SUCTION Davis B Reflex-Journa- l Hes a man of many talents Retirement doesnt slow Bob down By GARY R. BLODGETT Editor BOUNTIFUL Robert (Bob) Fox, of Bountiful, is a man of many talents and he does them all very well. A retired high school teacher and counselor. Bob is the author of nine published books, a primitive wood carver, jeweler, collector of rare coins, psychologist, and former instructor at the Utah State i Prison. I have other interests as well, but most of my efforts, especially since my retirement last July from Cyprus High School, have been with wood carving, freelance writing, and studying past and present cultures around the world, he said. I love to study ancient cultures and would like to spend considerable time in the next few years y traveling to places and learning more of the way others lived years ago and in the present. Meanwhile, Bob spends his days carvwhittling away on wood ing some real masterful pieces such framed as a by wood-carvin- g masterpiece he calls My labor of love. Comprised of eight varieties of wood, the framed wood piece contains more than 60 heads and far-awa- 31-in- 38-in- masks that represent Gods or chiefs of ancient tribes from Africa, South America, Hawaii and the South Sea Islands. Titled the Lost Tribe, the large framed replica would be a real conversation piece in any gallery, conference room, or home. It has a price tag of about $2,500. "I dont sell much of my work because there is so much time and love put into each piece that I cant bear to let it go, said Bob. Bobs favorites, besides the composite of the Lost Tribe, include two Kachina dolls depicting made of felt and the Hopi Tribe silk and embroidered with real turquoise. He also has carved animals including a starving old jack rabbit that he plans to enter in wood carving competition along with the masterpiece. Most of my wood carving is e done with a hunting knife that Ive owned for years and with smaller blade knives for the more intricate work, said Bob. And I have scars and cuts all over my hands and fingers from the mistakes Ive made. He said he never gets bored of wood carving, but it is such a tedious and hard work that he spends only a few hours a day on any one project. I have at least three or four projects going at a time so that I dont get bored. The work, he said, is very satisfying, if not financially rewarding. I may sell more of my work now that I have more time to spend on each project, he said. But more important to me is to enter the pieces in local and regional shows and contests and gain some recog- sharp-blad- nition for my work. He said he prefers mahogony and redwood because they are not too hard or too soft for use with his trusty hunting knife. I havent1 done a lot of chiseling yet, but plan to more as time goes on, he said. Bob got his interest in wood carving while on an LDS mission to New Zealand. "They have such beautiful work over there that 1 fell in love with the people and the carvings that they have. When I got back I studied from books and other carvers and then improved with experience, he said. Bobs workshop in the summer is an outside shed. In the winter, the kitchen table is his workbench. When not carving, Bob spends a lot of time freelance writing, polishing jewelery, collecting rare coins, and reading. Hes had nine books published five anthologies for Deseret Book and four novels written for young adults. My main interest, he said, is in young adult fiction novels. He said his desire is to get young adults more interested in reading. An author of nine books, Bob is still looking for his might already be written but not yet published. Best Seller, which he thinks Bob admits his nine books are out of print, but he is still looking for a best seller and he thinks he might have it written. Its titled, Land of the Long White Cloud, and it won $700 prize money for him in a recent contest. I have copies out to publishers now but a lot depends on timing and a lot of persist-ancand luck he says. Writing is very discouraging, but Im still confident that someday I will hit it big. e, He said he learned his jewelry making and stone polishing from a custodian at Cyprus High School where he spent the last 23 years as a student counselor and psychologist. Bob has been in education 30 years, getting his start in the Weber ' School District. He served as a parole officer and counselor at the Utah State Industrial School for juvenile offenders and at one time assisted in establishing the first high school curriculum at the Utah State Prison. Bob retired from Cyprus High last July after serving under 10 school principals. I got a late start in my profession because I not only served an LDS mission, but I also served two terms in the military service first the Navy and then the Army before graduating from B YU with a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in counselor psychology, he said. Now, Bob just wants to sit back and whittle his time away. Photos Kachina dolls, such as this one depicting the Hopi Indian Tribe, are so delicately carved that they take several months to finish. & Text by Gary R. Blodgett and birds The fireplace mantel shows some of the Kachina dolls, god and godess, which are among the vast collection of wood carvings. Polishing jewelry, along with rock hunting, is a favorite pasttime for Bob and his family. |