"Sir Winston" a relief carving

It feels really great to get back to carving. This piece is carved for a very good friend of my wife and I. When diagnosed with cancer some years back she found solace in her pet Schnauzer, "Sir Winston." Through out Darlene's ordeal "Winston" has been there for her. "Winston" is a very special pet. He's smart and very "handsome."

As all pet lovers know there is something deeply emotional about the bond between a pet and its master, especially in times of trauma and/or illness. I hope this carving, in some small way will honor the love and adoration between Darlene and "Sir Winston."  This carving is a gift to Darlene.

It all starts with a photo...

Then the sketch...

....and away we go.

(Interestingly, taking a photo of a relief carving straight-on gives the appearance of a developed negative film.)

I've only carved two other relief carvings way back in the '70's. Both were names of someone or something and I carved them with an X-Acto knife. Now, after all these years I'm trying my hand at a figure with a rotary tool.

The soft pine carves well but care needs to be taken when cutting across the grain. It's too easy to "dig" into the softer grain and make a nasty mistake.

The carving moved along quicker than I expected and mistakes were kept to a minimum.

With the carving completed, its time to let the paint do its job.

A simple piece of wood begins to take "character."

"Sir Winston"