Bruce Mack
Hi Wiley. Your work is beautiful.
I saw shallow carving similar to what I appropriated in a photo and used this as a stimulus. I needed a frame and used two rectangles to simulate this and compensate for what would have been chaotic otherwise. I think I used a v-tool to cut the rectangles and I must have marked them with pencil. The gouge-work was freehand. I thought that I could remake the top if I botched it. I used a Pfeil gouge and tapped it with a small brass mallet which gave me more control than simply pushing it. To avoid tear-out I came from each end of the small hollow. I was surprised at the nice effect. An artist friend used her dyes to give me the Chinese look I asked for on the top. The recipient told me that as of a year later it had not faded.