Some symbolic figures I love carving, this giant block of cottonwood was for a nice canvas. Long carving bars work great removing wood fast and easier to block out your figures, I chalk out roughly where I want them and once you get the unnecessary wood removed things become clearer. Beavers pelicans and herons are my favorite and love to carve them into one scene , this one I added reflection of a fish below the water. Everything is all carved out of one piece, even the cattails in the back are helping support the heron . Both Heron and pelican are dry brushed with a top coat of varnish protecting the paint.