People's Choice, Editor's Choice and Honorable Mention

Santa: High Five

By Donald Anderson, Des Plaines, Ill.

Donald Anderson always wanted to meet Santa when he was a child. This piece was inspired by that dream.

“I’m eighty years old,” Donald explained. “There were no Santas to visit in department stores when I was growing up. If there was, I would have given Santa a high five.”

Donald sketches out ideas and brings his sketches to life in wood. The figures, presents, and tree were carved from poplar and mounted on an oak base. Donald used an airbrush to paint the carving and sealed it with a urethane varnish. The piece is 131/2" tall, 121/2" wide, and 131/2" thick.

Santa: Santa’s Elephant Ride

By Ed Pribyl, Round Lake, Ill.

Ed Pribyl decided to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality with this carving.

“Instead of Santa flying through the air in his sleigh, I liked the idea of him riding a big elephant safari-style,” Ed explained.

Santa, the elephant, and the gifts were all carved separately.

“The size of the elephant allowed me to go a little crazy with gifts draped on the sides, which was integral in the design,” Ed said.

Ed applied several layers of paint to the carving and distressed the finish to give the carving an antique look. The piece is 20" tall, 20" wide, and 10" thick.