I have carved surprisingly few domesticated creatures over the years and quite a few woodland critters. Having grown up in Montana it isn't surprising how many animals I have done who originate in those Rocky Mountains and the Plains. Wild animals here in the East just are not as likely to be stumbled upon on a walk as in the West and most of the stories I treasure about my life have not taken place while living here.
I find that it is a lot more entertaining to carve my personal tales into the antics of nature's creatures. Even the most mundane of adventures are far more fun from that perspective!
My carvings each represent a paragraph of my own personal travels, trials, and tribulations.
I marvel every year at how Larry Berman is able to capture the essence almost every time on his very first click. In my own candid photos, I capture how the individual carvings interact with the others in their group. Each animal is a part of an annual menagerie of between 8-18 animals. Once finished, they travel to shows and I no longer group them by the years they were made.
I have been posting about 40-50 candid photos per day on my Facebook page which is open to the public if you would like to see those. https://www.facebook.com/VillageFolkByAndreaDurnell