I've been having an epiphany in slow motion these past 5 months or so... trying to find some combination of my computer photography work and my wood-carving. My bad eye, the right one with it's WMD, had done a number on my overall life style and my daily routines, and my good eye was working overtime. I'm now alternating between these two activities, and it seems to be helping. These photos show the wooden plate I'm working on now, and some others, in order: pieces waiting for additonal carving/sanding/oiling, some on a stairways wall, one that Inday put on the coffee table, my current Favorite one sitting on our mantle, and a close-up. The pieces are mostly acacia wood plates that are popular here in the Philippines, and the dimensions are in the 5-12" range. The wood is already dried/cured and I can just start carving. Sometimes I just let the grains and colors suggest what to cut, and sometimes I'll start carving with a specific idea in mind.