by Michael Mason
This floral grouping was carved from a Steve Bisco pattern published in Woodcarving magazine (a UK publication). It is in the style of Grinling Gibbons, the famous 17th century woodcarver who worked primarily in the UK. It is comprised of two main layers along with two individual flowers attached to the front. Contrary to popular belief, this layering technique is the same one used by Gibbons - his carvings are not made from one piece of wood. However, the project was challenging in that it was difficult to access many of the interior areas of the two main levels, and the walls are quite thin in some areas with a lot of undercutting.