Scroller Ratings

[ozarkhillbilly]

When I started out as an apprentice plumber it took me 8000 hours of on job training and 4 years of schooling to get my Union Journeyman license, and lose that tag of apprentice.

Curious as to what separates a beginner scroller from an expert?

Looking forward to hearing ya'lls opinions.

Bill

[SharonW0111]

Good question -- I am no expert but I do have a little knowlege..and my work has improved a lot...I am guessing a expert is when you know all the answers..lol..and are right on the questions you answer ..
Sharon -- novice in training

[CanadianScroller]

This question has been asked so many times. There is no real definitive answer.

If a newbie comes to you and asks a question that you can answer, then you have more expertise in that area than the newbie did.

I think an expert is someone who will tackle a job, and overcome the problems that arise as they arise.

I know when we have been scrolling for several years we would like to be called an expert. As long as we don't stop learning that is fine, but I would not want to be called an expert and then sit on my laurels while the scrolling world goes by.

I actually like to be called an amateur. One who loves the craft and does it for the love of the craft not the "HUGE PROFITS"

[William Young (SE BC)]

I agree with Carl;
I prefer to be called an amateur or at the most an intermediate scroller. As soon as a person thinks they are an expert someone comes along to show them how little they know and how much better their work could be .
There is always room for improvement and learning at any level. I have never experienced those "huge profits" but make enough to break even with updating tools and buying wood and supplies. That's enough satisfaction for this old scroller.

Besides that . . expert can be interperated as exspurt . .
ex is a has been and spurt is a drip under pressure.
W.Y.

[core-eagle]

Its when the size of the project burn pile keeps getting smaller

Tim

[Little flower]

More!

Bill all I can say is ... The more I scroll, the more I want to scroll and the more I realise I still have more to learn!
Boy have I done some apprenticeship hours, so to speak, and I still wouldn't call myself an expert, so I certainly wouldn't put it down to just hours.

[Jediscroller]

I don't think there is such a thing as an "expert" scroller. Some are more accomplished, but only because they've had the courage to try different things. Of course, there are a few folks who think they are "experts" and their arrogance knows no bounds. Some folks know more about fretwork or intarsia or segmentation or whatever because it's what they do most of. In my mind, a novice is someone just starting out on the adventure and then there's everyone else, how's about we just call them scrollers?

Kevin

[Gill]

Expert? That's one word with two components that can be defined in the following ways:

Ex - A has been
Spurt - A drip under pressure

I hope nobody regards me as an expert .

Gill

[ozarkhillbilly]

Great replys from everyone, and pretty much what I expected to see and how I feel.

Tim, thanks for the laugh, I got to go throw some wood on the fire.

Bill

[Old Mooner]

Ha! Bill, you aren't going to get anyone on this forum (who has been here any amount of time) to claim to be an "expert". There would be so many Bronx cheers and international friendship signs given that that person would have to seek shelter. We're all just "good 'ole boys and girls", some of which have been making mistakes longer than others. I'm not sure it is always a good thing to be proud of being average, but that is what most of us claim to be. Now ask about the difference between "professional" and "amatuer" (sp?) or between "artist" and "crafter." There just aint no correct answer buddy.
Moon

[owler]

I think it depends on your definition of expert. If you define expert as someone who knows everything there is to know about a subject, then I don't think you will find an expert in any hobby or profession.

Top heart surgeons are constantly developoing new techniques or activley seeking what others are doing in order to improve their skills. If they are not experts, then I don't know who would be.

I am a novice scroller, but I may be doing things that someone else may not have thought of.

I can relate this to my other hobby, birding. I consider myself an advanced birder. I can identify birds by sight, by ear and by "zen", which is an impression of their behavior, whether the way they are flying or moving. But I can't do this for every bird. People who I consider experts in this field are always reading what others are doing and will usually learn something new by just spending time in the field. You always notice something new.

I think their are a lot of experts on this forum. Some are experts in particular aspects of scrolling. But if you have a passion for something, the learning process never stops.

[Woodbutcher68]

Funk and Wagnalls gives these definations:
Expert - n. One who has special skill or knowledge: a specialist. adj. 1. skillful as the result of training or experience. 2. Characteristic of or produced by an expert.
Professional - adj. 1. Connected with, preparing for, engaged in, appropriate to, or conforming to a profession,
2. Of or pertaining to an occupation pursued for gain. One who pursues as a business some vocation or occupation.
We don't always think of ourselves as experts or professionals and most of us don't claim to be, however by the above definations we are. Especially those of us who sell the items we make. We're just too humble to admit it!
We also don't always consider ourselves as artists, since most people think of artists as painters, not scrollers or turners.
We are in fact all artists, we just use a different medium. Instead of paint and canvas, we use wood, Corian or whatever else we can cut with a saw.
The president of the company I work for has her Masters in Art from Notre Dame. The only paint brush she has touched in years are used to paint walls and trim.
I taught her how to scroll and use a lathe. Now she creates art in another medium and really enjoys it. We have both had pieces displayed in the Indiana University Northwest Gallery of Contemporary Art, and I have had items on display in a couple of local Libraries. I was also asked to put some of my items in the Northern Indiana Arts Association gift shop.
Do I consider myself an expert?
Only in the fact that I can make a mistake blend into the finished product and make it look better!
Am I a professional?
By the defination above, yes I am. I am also a professional at my day job since I pursue an occupation for gain...a PAYCHECK on Friday!
All of my employees are professionals too, (although they don't act like it) since they are also working for a financial gain.
Personally, I think everbody in this forum fits the defination of expert, so we can all pat ourselves on the back as long as we don't break our arms doing it.

[arbarnhart]

The only time I think it has a lot of relevance is for picking patterns. They are often categorized as beginner, intermediate and advanced. You don't want to pick anything too difficult and get frustrated and not enjoy scrolling.

Old Mooner poked at the other never ending debate of art versus craft.

My answer to labels is who cares, really? Just enjoy scrolling and take your abilities and preferences into account to pick projects that won't frustrate you.