I first became fascinated with wood carving at age seven when my mother told me the story of how my father proposed. They ...

FITCHBURG — It doesn’t take much for a beginner to get started in the Central Mass Caricature Carvers; all you need is a carving knife, the right chunk of wood, and a little imagination.

A finely-detailed wood carving by sculptor David Esterly. David Esterly He showed correspondent Faith Salie one of his latest works, a 18th-century-style rack of the kind that used to hold letters.

Eventually, he realized he needed to put “a little of myself” into every face, especially in the eyes. “As an artist, if you can’t carve eyes or paint eyes, you should just hang it up. Or paint ...