The final stage - staining the caneholder.  I used spirit based colours to stain the piece, building up and taking back layers rather like a watercolour painting.  I then applied bees wax to seal the piece.

Having achieved a shape I was happy with, I used a series of finer chisels allowing the gouge marks to flow around the bird, as well as adding details to the piece.

After a lot of chipping, the bird is starting to take shape!

I have now cut out the cane holder, using English Lime wood.  Then I carved out the inside of the bird so that I it can store the canes and I am about to begin carving the outside of the holder.

I have been commissioned to make a cane holder to hold around 20 walking sticks, and I thought it would good to show a piece of work in progress - so here goes.  Firstly the design stage.  The customer is interested in extinct Hawaiian birds.  

I was recently commissioned to carve a series of totems for Itchen Valley park in Hampshire. Inspired by local flora and fauna, the totems each have a word carved on them, spelling out the Native American proverb "treat the earth well" walkers on the trail collect the words and have to work out the proverb. Each totem weighs over a tonne and, as you can imagine - manoeuvring them to carve was a challenge! I carved the totems in green New Forest oak using a variety of gouge chisels, then I stained each totem with oil paint mixed with wood preserver.