Stitched Red Maple Heart Carving

Hand-carved from salvaged Red Maple, this sculptural heart by Mel Johnson — Wildgoose Mountain Woodcrafts — features a deliberate split down the center mended with pale cord laced through six hand-drilled eyelets. Finished to a high gloss, the wood's natural grain shifts from deep mahogany to warm terracotta across the surface. Mounted on a white base for display, the piece blends folk art craftsmanship with conceptual intent, exploring themes of love, breakage, and repair. A one-of-a-kind hand-sculpted work in Johnson's signature heart series, shown at PTG & AV Gallery in Las Vegas.