Custom Animal Portrait, Hand-Carved in Wood

The reference was taken on a phone, with one side of Alba’s face almost in shadow. The finished carving kept that contrast instead of trying to even it out. I think that's why the eyes have so much life.

Juniper’s sleepy little face is all there.

The curve of the horse’s neck is the best part.

My horse has a white blaze that goes off centre halfway down. That was the one detail I checked first. They got the asymmetry and somehow also caught the bit of mane that always falls over his eye.

You can pick out individual whiskers from quite close up.

Even the tiny notch in his ear is there.

Really pleased with how the black panel sets off Scout’s white chest.

Most pictures of our dog make him look solemn. The carver kept the lift at one corner of his mouth, which changes his entire expression. The cuts along the nose look wonderfully fine in daylight.

It took me a while to send the photo because I only had one good picture of Pepper looking straight ahead, and the side of his face was in shade. The first thing I looked for when I opened the box was the pale patch on his lower lip. It was there, along with the whiskers that always curled toward his nose. I like that the rest of the panel is so quiet. You get the feeling of him before you start looking at the individual lines.

They caught the lopsided ear. That was the whole point for me.

I'd sent three photos and each caught a different bit of our spaniel. The finished piece gets the curl on his forehead and that slightly wary look he has with strangers. That combination is what makes it him.

The fine lines around Mabel’s ears are so recognisably hers.