 Well, starting with just a plain block of wood, woodcarvers are able to see what could come to life out of it. People interested in learning the tedious craft can do so at the McCrossey Arts Center in Grand Rapids. Malmira reports for This Weeks in Focus. I'm going to create, make it easier for us to get this separation in between. The students start with a plain block of wood. Finally got a TV. And use box cutters to chip away at the block. Drop this here and drop this here. Until in this case, a woodpecker is revealed. Mike Constraud has been working on these pieces since the fall. Just taking a piece of wood and eventually having it turn into something is, I don't know, very enjoyable, very relaxing. The techniques have been passed down from one generation to another. Instructor Belva Schellhammer learned the craft from her father. I mean, you can see where I have little dots here, little poke marks. He was taking class and said, why don't you try this? And I said, yeah, maybe someday and before I knew what I was doing it. She's now passing on her techniques to her students twice a week. It turns red. Don't blow on it. All right. Use your fingers and pinch it out. We have some beginners. We have some people like Deb that's been doing it for a long time. Even if they're more seasoned woodworkers, they can still learn a thing or two from the class. I'd like to do some decoys, maybe some fish or something along the line. But it's a great way to start and learn different techniques because there's a lot of feathering and a lot of carving in and stuff like that. But for now he's sticking to birds to really develop the whittling, feathering and burning required for the pieces. This is the bird I try everything on and then I get to this one and this one is definitely a better bird. As Schellhammer says, the birds provide a solid foundation before moving on to other works. You can make it as easy as you want, but you can really challenge yourself too and pick out a really difficult project or something you've never done before. If people are interested in making birds like this one, they're welcome to join in the class at any time. In Grand Rapids with This Weeks in Focus, I'm Mal Meyer, Lakeland News. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.