Wood Carving

After spending decades devoted to the art of carving, acclaimed New Zealand artist Stephen Myhre shares his expertise in his second book, Wood Carving: Tools, Techniques & Concepts. This how-to manual covers every aspect of wood carving from selecting the right wood to understanding patterns and achieving the perfect finish.

"The kaupapa (purpose) of this new book is to meet the need for a coherent description of how to prepare, maintain and use a set of wood-carving tools to produce competent, good-quality work," Myhre writes. "Not all carvers need to become professionals, so this book is not aimed at them, but there are still many who want to carve and the teaching resources to do so are few and far between."

Wood Carving surveys the diversity and richness of European, Maori, and South Pacific carving styles, applying traditional and modern techniques to create pieces including a waka huia (treasure box). Superb colour photos take the reader through every step of the carving process, and include examples of the author's finished work.

Like his first book, Bone Carving: A Skillbase of Techniques and Concepts, which has been in print for over 35 years and sold more than 50,000 copies, Wood Carving promises to be an essential guide to this craft.