Meet the winners of the final 2016 People’s Choice Contest
Congratulations to the winners of the fourth 2016 People’s Choice Contest! The fourth category, announced last spring, was Ornaments: Painted and Unpainted. The entries we received all showed joy for the holiday season. We’ll be talking to some of these carvers about sharing their patterns in future issues. Plus, cash prizes will be awarded to the winners.
Ornaments: Painted
First Place: Three Kings
Arturo Torres of Carmel, N.Y., carved
Three Kings from basswood and detailed the piece with a woodburner and gold and silver leaf. Three Kings Day is celebrated in Puerto Rico in January as part of the Christmas holiday. Children leave grass for the wise men’s horses and, in exchange, the wise men leave gifts. Three Kings is 21/2″ by 5″.
Second Place: Angel for Chris
Don Lang of Bella Vista, Ariz., designed Angel for Chris to help a young man in need. In 2016 Chris Teske of Chandler, Ariz., was the victim of a car accident that left him a quadriplegic who needs a lifetime of therapy and care. Don is selling angels and cutouts to help Chris pay for his medical care. Angel for Chris is 4″ by 7″ and was carved from basswood with hand tools.
Third Place: Pondering Santa
Sharon Morris of St. Louis, Mo., based Pondering Santa on her father, who always smoked a pipe. Christmas was his favorite time of the year because the family got together for an old-fashioned holiday. Pondering Santa is 31/4″ by 4″ and was carved from basswood with hand tools.
Ornaments: Unpainted
First Place: Triskelion Pendant
Jason Townsend of Cambridgeshire, U.K., scrolled and then carved Triskelion Pendant with hand tools from steamed pear wood. The pendant, 1/4″ by 2″ by 2″, was inspired by gothic motifs and the classic Celtic triskelion. It is suspended from a satin ribbon with sterling silver clasps.
Second Place: Light Behind the Cross
Dirk Jepma of Leeuwarden, Friesland, in the Netherlands, carved Light Behind the Cross from mahogany with hand tools. It is 12″ by 18″. Dirk said that his inspiration for the piece was “passion.”
