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Hand to Heartwood

Hand to Heartwood

Carved by hand. Learned by heart.

Wood sculpture and step-by-step paths to finding the joy of carving.

Handcrafted by Maria Patterson

Shop artworkLearn to carve
Maria Patterson

Maria Patterson

Wood Sculpture Artist

Indiana Artisan

In pursuit of excellence, through patience, mastery, and joy.

Maria is a woodcarving teaching artist based in Indianapolis who discovered carving as a therapeutic antidote for burnout in the tech industry, after years spent building AI policy and technology infrastructure spanning from academia to startups to the White House. She creates whimsical wood art solely using hand tools, breathing new life into cottonwood bark sustainably sourced from dead trees. Her wooden sculptures have found homes everywhere from the bedrooms of children to national exhibits in fine art galleries. In 2023, her carvings earned an Indiana Artisan designation, defining the finest in Hoosier craftsmanship. She currently teaches beginner carvers at the Indy Art Center and as a Lechleiter Visiting Artist at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

What was already there, waiting to be found.

Cottonwood bark, before and after — the art of transformation.

“Not a Monster”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“Not a Monster”
“Ava”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“Ava”
“Guardian”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“Guardian”
“Spotted Owl”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“Spotted Owl”
“Found”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“Found”
“Peacekeeper”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“Peacekeeper”
“White Wizard”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“White Wizard”
“Motherly Nature”: the cottonwood bark before carving, and the finished carving
“Motherly Nature”
Browse before & after prints

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