Stephen was one of the first people to do contemporary trompe l’oeil, which means to trick the eye. In this class all students will work from a maquette at their own bench to learn the relevance of source material when carving. Students will study, construct, and then carve a small table that has the appearance of being covered with a tablecloth. All pieces will be made from mahogany to help eliminate the distraction of grain pattern and to facilitate the carving process. Observation of detail and minimalization will be shown, which is the key to a successful trompe l’oeil piece. Carving techniques will include traditional gouges, disc grinders, surforms, and rasps. Students will be able to design their own legs to fit their tabletop.