This week I finished a 'non-commisioned' carving for my son, Major Alec Judt of the Canadian Armed Forces "EME" group.

Alec's family has been the recipient of a number of my carvings over the years for two reasons:

• first, it keeps Grumps (that's me!) occupied in his carving studio during retirment.

• second, Alec and his family really appreciate these carvings and understand the work that goes into them.

The carving is made from hard white maple, 2" thick and 17" x 22". The panel is laminate from four boards.

The photo shows the carving just before the clear-coat finish was applied, so you can see the actual colour of the wood.

This was not a difficult carving to undertake, not like some of the portraiture I've done in the past. But it was a pleasant challenge none the less, as I wanted to represent the crest as acurately as possible in wood.

The limitations for the carving had to do with the absence of colour in the carving and the rendering of a 'flat' image into 1-1/4" depth. Add to this the need to inculde a supporting background to strengthen some of the more delicate areas of the design.

Maple is the perfect wood for a project like this because it allows the carving of fine detail without the hazards of breakage.