Best Carving Design Contest Archive

The judges sorted through more than 100 entries in the Realistic category. They narrowed the selection down to 10 nominees. Readers vote online for the top prizes.

Voting is closed in the 2012 Best Carving Design Contest. Winners will be announced in Woodcarving Illustrated Fall 2012 (Issue 60) which hits newsstands in mid-August.

Do you have a great new carving you’d like to share with the world? We invite you to enter your original designs in the 2012 Best Carving Design Contest. You’ll compete for prizes, recognition, and the chance to become Woodcarving Illustrated’s newest contributor. Plus, everyone who participates has a chance […]

People’s Choice Best In Contest Jerry Mifflin took home two well-deserved awards for his Lake Norman Survival Mantel: People’s Choice Best of Contest and People’s Choice in the relief carving category. “The concept for my mantel was an underwater scene depicting the natural food chain in a bass fishing lake,” […]

People’s Choice Janice Sloan’s footed canes were inspired by visits to medical supply houses and assisted living facilities. “Those businesses were always overrun with three-footed canes, but they were so dull and uninteresting that I began to imagine what a real footed cane might look like,” Janice said. “These two […]

People’s Choice Henry Neiblum created a fun carving that blurs the line between a caricature and a stylized piece. The smooth flowing lines of All Mine! imply movement and convey emotion—a classic technique in stylized carvings. This movement and emotion set the stage for the funny scene. “He’s an ordinary […]

People’s Choice and Editor’s Choice The editors agreed with the readers that John A. Guillozet’s Bell Santa is the top entry in the category. The editors liked the overall composition of John’s carving and felt that the elements were carved and painted well. John used knives and gouges to carve […]

People’s Choice Jerry Mifflin took home two well-deserved awards for his Lake Norman Survival Mantel: People’s Choice Best of Contest and People’s Choice in the relief carving category. “The concept for my mantel was an underwater scene depicting the natural food chain in a bass fishing lake,” Jerry explained. “My […]

People’s Choice and Editor’s Choice For the second contest in a row, a carving by 14-year-old Jimmy Miller has earned recognition from the editors. This year, Jimmy earned the People’s Choice award for the junior category as wel for his Bearded Manl. “As far as I can remember, I was […]

People’s Choice Mickey Hudspeth created his winning Jewelry Chest from mahogany with inlaid and chip carved basswood ellipses and drawer fronts. “I like to make chests, boxes, and bowls that are heavily chip carved,” Mickey said. “I chip carved the inlays before gluing them into the recessed holes in the […]