It's Wednesday, which means there is sure to be laughs around the wood-carving table at the Garner Senior Center. The Garner Wood Carvers, a group of older men armed with vivid imaginations ...

Consider, for example, the bag on his kitchen table, which is spilling over with miniature carved chickadees. The chickadees have plenty of avian company.

Gesturing at the long row of tables, Stephenson pointed out that each of the carvers creates different, beautiful items, from hand-turned ink pens and walking sticks to Santa Claus faces and ...

The smell of freshly carved wood is in the air at the New Village Recreation Center in Centereach. At a long table, men and women are working with short, sharp knives.

Woodcarving is more than simply whittling. It is an art form. Among many styles the most common are chip carving, relief carving and character carving, as well as wood burning.

The Maine State Museum is at 230 State St. For more information, see the museum’s website at www.mainestatemuseum.org or the Maine Wood Carvers Association website at www.mainewoodcarvers.com.