I hate to admit this but I've been a member here for almost a year and this will be my first thread. At any rate I'm for the most part a chip carver but can do other types of carving.
I try and make one large chip carving each year and this year was no exception. I call this Hidden Treasure.
My design concepts for chip carving tend to veer away from what is in common use and expressed today. I started with a 24” square wall plaque and added hinged leaves to the piece, framed with a contrasting wood. Not only did this increase its size from 24" to 36", but it also allowed its original geometrical shape to be changed from a square to a diamond alternatingly.
A circle has been cut in the middle of the closed leaves so the outside design would be incorporated as the center of the inside design.
This piece uses some of the most difficult cuts when chip carving, i.e., long straight double lines, very large chips, stippling, and side by side chips. A natural finish was chosen by applying several coats of lacquer sprayed on the entire piece.