Wanda Marsh began carving in 1993 in her native Texas. Many of her inspirations have come from watching the bird feeders she has placed outside her windows and the flowers that she has planted in her yard. Not to be limited to her own yard, she may even see something while traveling that sparks an idea.

Wanda's first attempts at flowers came less than a year after she first began carving. A friend suggested that she carve a rose for the Tyler Rose Show that she had planned to attend. The idea took root, and Wanda began researching books and taking photos of roses at nurseries. Many beautiful roses were dissected for the cause of a good carving. After finishing her first rose, her daughter suggested she place a loose petal on the base of the carving - a reference to the Beast's rose in Beauty and the Beast.

After carving the rose, Wanda's appetite for flower carving has been insatiable. She enjoys the challenge of seeing how she can make different flowers out of wood. Friends now get that knowing look when Wanda picks a flower and takes it home. They know that in many cases its likeness will be carved before it wilts, and quite possible the carved version will win a ribbon along the way.

Editors Note: Don't be fooled into thinking that Wanda Marsh stops with flower carving. She is an award-winning carver of fish, animals and caricatures as well. Her most recent awards include a sweep of the flower division at the 2000 International Woodcarvers Congress (morning glory, first place; hibiscus, second place; rose, third place) and a People's Choice Award for an iris at the Houston Area Woodcarvers Show. She holds other honors for fish carving from the Louisiana Wildfowl Carvers and Collectors Guild, the East Texas Woodcarvers Annual Show, the Killeen Centroplex Woodcarvers Show and the World Fish Carving Championship. A popular instructor, Wanda can be found teaching seminars in Texas and other nearby states.

Find more articles and books by Wanda Marsh at www.foxchapelpublishing.com