From giant dragonflies to man-eating sharks, the Festival of Wood saw burly chainsaw-wielding men carve an array of awe-inspiring shapes from giant logs. 
Sculptors before the event
(8 pictures)
Sculptors during and after the event
(11 pictures)
The event, which took place at Westonbirt Arboretum over the August Bank Holiday weekend, features the work of twelve tree sculptors who are each given a week to transform a trunk into a work of art. At the end of the week their efforts were sold by auction, with proceeds going to Tree Aid, a charity which works with communities in West Africa to help them achieve self-sufficiency through sustainable use of woodland.  | | That wood-n't be a nice way to go... |
Carving This year Mick Burns and Dave Johnson, two of the most experienced carvers, had the added challenge of not knowing what they are expected to produce until their giant trunk is revealed. The other participants were able to devise their pieces prior to the event. Much of the wood used is from oak or beech trees, all of which died naturally in the arboretum. Besides the carving, visitors to this world of wood were able to enjoy demonstrations of other wood-based crafts including violin making, decoy duck manufacturing, papermaking and pyrography. Autumn Westonbirt Arboretum occupies a 600-acre site near Tetbury and is home to around 18,000 plant specimens. Perhaps unsurprisinglys, autumn is the Arboretum's peak time as visitors flock to see the changing colours of the leaves. The season begins in late September with the Japanese Maples coming ablaze with autumnal colour, and as other trees follow suit the explosion of colour continues until November. | 
Some of the world's top wood carvers sliced away at Westonbirt Arboretum's Festival of Wood over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
