Cheeky Beaver Hugging A Log

A wide-eyed beaver who has clearly bitten off more log than he can chew. This comic relief centres on a roly-poly rodent draped over a fat, bark-textured log: two enormous front teeth clamp down on the middle of it, whiskers splay from a freckled snout, and a pair of startled saucer eyes sit under tufts of hair that spring straight up off his head. His round belly — belly-button and all — and splayed little feet dangle below the log, while a single leafy twig sprouts hopefully from the cut end on the right. It is pure cartoon character, sculpted as a raised relief on a flat back. It belongs on a workshop or shed wall, in a cabin or lodge, on a woodworker's or lumberjack's gift shelf, or in a child's room where the daft face will get a laugh. Cut notes: • This is a bas-relief — carve it into a panel rather than in the round; the flat back becomes your mounting face. • Rough the masses first, then finish with a fine ball-nose for the fur tufts, whiskers, teeth and the ropey bark grain on the log. • A close-grained hardwood or a good carving board holds the tiny detail; blow out the dust and seal with oil or wax to lift the texture. • It prints cleanly face-up, with supports only under the deepest undercuts around the paws and log ends.