Wayne, welcome to chip-carving. I identified immediately with your introduction comments – they echoed my own thoughts , when I began two years ago, at age 75, by searching for a woodcarving group at the senior citizens centers in my town.
I lucked out by picking one which was headed by carver who had started his woodcarving journey with chip-carving. He got me started on the right track. However, I soon needed more help/instruction than I could ask from him – he was now doing carvings in the round and I needed to see someone actually chip-carving to learn more. That is when I stumbled onto Marty’s website and his many instructional videos. They proved to be exactly what I needed to grow.
By the way, you may find, as I did, that joining a carving club is an excellent way to learn, make friends with people with similar interests, and get some needed encouragement and support. My senior citezens’ group meets once a week for several hours of carving. Many of those members are also in the local woodcarving club, the Rio Grande Woodcarvers, which I just joined yesterday. So, good luck on your own journey.