IT has taken wood sculptor, Rob Bast, 20 years, but he finally made it to Sheepvention in 2023.

Mr Bast, who is based in the Yarra Valley, made his debut at this year’s event at the Hamilton Showgrounds, and was taken aback with the size of the event.

“First time carving here, it is big,” he said.

“I didn’t think it was going to be big here, it is amazing.”

Mr Bast was carving a Kelpie on Sunday morning and was already onto his next piece by the afternoon.

He said he always tries to pick things relevant to the area he is in.

“I try to do something to do with where I’m at, just came back from the Northern Territory, so did everything from crocodiles to red tailed black cockatoos, so try to focus on something local to the area,” he said.

“I started about 9am and should be done with this in a couple of hours.”

It started as a hobby in 2003, before focusing on it as a full-time career in 2009.

A visit to the Elmore Field Days 20 years ago opened Bast’s eyes to the opportunity and has been honing his craft since.

“There was a lumberjack show and one of the guys gave me a few hints and tips and then met a few other carvers and the rest is history,” he said.

The boilermaker by trade has worked to expand his network to maintain his stockpiles of wood.

“I have a whole network of arborists and loggers that I get material from, I do most of my stuff from the workshop but do shows and demonstrations and so get around to a few different places,” he said.

“I generally use cyprus – macrocarpa – it is pretty stable and doesn’t warp or twist.

“But when I am in the Northern Territory, I can’t take logs with me, so carve African Mahogany which is similar to our redgum.”