The Viking Dragon ship was commissioned for a private home in Colorado. It was carved in 2" thick birch, 24" tall and 36" wide, and portrays the ship and crew on the open sea. Included are the cliffs of a Fjord, billowing clouds and rolling waves. Under full sail, the shields of warriors line the gunnels as a dragon's head leads the way, striking fear in the hearts of foes. A Celtic knot pattern trims the cutting edge of the bow. Bill says that "the pattern was drawn full-size, and copies were made of it for use later when objects needed to be traced onto the various layers of the carving. In total, this pattern was re-drawn six times over the course of the design stage." The final copy shows the depth of every area relative to the surface. For instance, a marking of 1/4" meant 1/4" below the topmost surface of the panel.

At left is a carving which was commissioned by the City of Grande Prairie, Alberta (Canada), for their new City Hall. It hangs in their Council Chambers. Carved in Red Oak, the panel is 35" in diameter and 2" thick. It is finished with a base coat of clear oil-based sanding sealer and a top coat of hardwood wax.

The crest depicts the rare Trumpeter Swans that have long been a symbol of the region. Forestry, agriculture and oil production are also represented as the area's major industries. Mountains are never far from one's view in Grande Prairie, which is in the foothills of northern Alberta.

There's a closeup photo of the trees on Bill's Web site (see link below), and it shows how simply they are rendered. Layers help to create a sense of depth, and strong bevels on their boundaries makes each object more visible from a distance. Stamping is used in the background to make the wood appear darker. Wheat sheaves are relatively easy to carve, Bill says, once their detail is reduced to simple shapes. The same goes for the oil dereks which are otherwise complex structures.

Bill says that "the idea was also to create a family heirloom which would have enduring meaning to successive generations. Artistic considerations were to take a back seat to the message of this carving. It had a job to do, and if it were to look aesthetically pleasing in the process, all the better. What good would the carving be if it looked pretty but failed to communicate the central belief of the family or the essence of this parable?"

The father is the most detailed object in the carving, followed by the text of verse 20 and finally by the line carving around the perimeter of the ellipse. The carving is 2" thick and 18" by 24", carved in beautiful Northern White Birch, with a clear finish (sanding sealer/wax).

Bill has taught workshops through the Alberta Rocky Mountain Carving Seminar, an annual event hosted by Red Deer College's Summer Series program. He teaches weekly adult carving classes out of his home-based carving studio, and is heavily involved in promoting woodcarving on the internet. He owns and operates the Woodcarver Mailing List, a large online community of carvers from around the world.

Until recently, Bill published a bi-monthly online magazine called the WWWoodcarver E-zine and his woodcarving web site (www.wwwoodcarver.com) was, he says, the first on the Net.