Wood Carving Intermezzo

After having made some objects out of ivy wood, like two arty ornaments, a cane for my father, and an ivy staff, nay, the Ivy Staff, I am now working on a ¾ staff made from rhododendron wood.

Why rhododendron wood, you weird man?

Well, why not? It's strong, heavy, and hard, and unusual enough to be interesting, all attributes many people like.

Anyway.

After stripping off the bark except for the part that will be the grip, I ended up with the top of the staff looking like this:

Many people saw many different animal heads in this; I saw a hare, and it's my staff, so there.

It's a hare.

I decided to try and make this look even more hare-ish, as the head's shape tends a bit towards that of a grasshopper, and that just won't do; it would encourage the naysayers.

So, I obtained a photo of a hare, and turned it into a line drawing with a few transfomations:

It didn't, of course, fit the wood, but after a few quaint and curious transformations I came up with this:

This will look even more like a hare's head, albeit a very distinguished-looking one, and its fits nicely.

And now, to the carving. It will be a while until the staff is finished, but I will keep you posted.

I do sometimes think I should have bought a 3d printer.