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                    

Bronze Figure Sculpture “After the Bath”