Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus brings a broad muzzle, small upright ears, and a generous belly into the compact company of four wooden legs. The rounded silhouette gives the carving its easygoing character, while the visible grain runs through the dark brown surface. It occupies the workbench with the composure usually reserved for sculpture on a much more expensive plinth.

The process views follow that character taking shape: first a rough hippo outline in raw wood, its pale cut edges surrounded by chips; then the rounded carving with stain bringing color and grain into focus. In the finished showpiece, the polished surface catches the light across the back and face, showing how far those first angular cuts have traveled.

There is pleasure here in the handwork itself: shaping the belly, giving the muzzle its weight, and letting a small tail complete the silhouette. One could call it an inquiry into mass and presence. It is also a wooden hippo, and seems quite satisfied with that distinction.