I was introduced to wood carving as a teenager.  My grandfather was particularly skilled at carving and used to frequently impress the family.  It was only logical that I thought I could impress a girl I liked with a carving of my own.  After all, which girl wouldn't be impressed with a random act of endless hours of labour in the form of a shaped wooden block - not creepy at all.  

My grandfather, a patient teacher and brilliant man, sadly passed away before I could fully benefit from his experience and although I had taken to love the craft, my final carving for what would be over a decade, was for his coffin.