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Christmas Angel carved in basswood holding a banner exclaiming "Gloria in excelsis deo." Finished with Danish oil and wax.

Carved from basswood. Finished with oak colored stain and wax. Approximately 4 inches tall.

Birds carved from cherry mounted on a driftwood base. Approximately 10 inches tall.

Basswood carving of a big cat imagined as an ancestor of modern jaguars. Approximately 8" tall finished with a water based stain and wax.

Approximately 34" wide. Basswood. Water based stains and wax. This carving depicts events and themes surrounding the annunciation narrative from the gospel of Luke. The center panel depicts the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary. On either side of this are John the Baptist proclaiming the coming of the Messiah and St. Joseph in his carpenter's shop. The far left and far right panels depict the messianic prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah. In designing this piece, I incorporated a number of references to historical christian iconography. In the central panel, Mary is found kneeling on a prayer kneeler indicating her prayerful refection on the word. The kneeler is decorated with a lily which is a symbol of purity. Behind Mary are a pitcher and basin of water that also are used to signify purity. The angel Gabriel appears with one hand gesturing towards Mary and with his other hand he holds up two fingers indicating the human and divine nature of the child to be born. The walls

" Creativity, Happiness and Your Own Two Hands " is an article on the Psychology Today site that discusses how purposeful hand use enhances well-being in a technologically saturated culture. It reminded me of this carving by Travis Bryant. Hopefully you are experiencing the benefits of making things with your hands. If you would like to learn about wood carving, please let me know.

I often get questions about my carving arm and where to get one. I do not remember the source of mine, but I have found that The Woodcraft Shop has a  laminated oak carving arm  for sale. If you are interested in making your own, Woodcarving Illustrated has a Building a Carving Arm article on their site. The article includes detailed plans. A secure way to hold your work as you carve is key to personal safety. Are you using a carving arm or something similar?