Carving is a source of joy to the artist...
To attack the raw material, gradually to extract a shape out of it following one’s own desire, or, sometimes, the inspiration of the material itself: this gives the sculptor joy. In carving, material and thought are linked by the hand alone: thus the raw material is imbued with warmth of feeling directly drawn from the artist’s nature.
Aristide Maillol 1861-1944