While the subject of these works is based on the natural forms of animals, the beautiful figure (grain pattern) of the wood takes on a life of its own and a tension is created by the interaction of the character of the wood and the recognition of the object. I have put a good deal of effort into getting the form of the animals right and trying to give it life with a glint in the eye, but ultimately,we are still looking at WOOD, not the animal. So, this is a reference to my long standing interest in symbolic and surreal imagery, and of my earlier color etchings in the "Magic Forest" series.