Photo of a red Welsh dragon carving created by Colin Vale, aka Carving Colin, circa 2026. Known as Y Ddraig Goch in Welsh, it was commissioned as a centerpiece for the Dragon Rouge room at home. Hence the title Y Ddraig Goch in the Dragon Rouge; translated from Welsh and French, it basically means the Red Dragon in the Red Dragon. Kind of repetitive at first glance, except for the use of different languages to honor both sides of my Welsh and French heritage. Y Ddraig Goch would effectively reference the carving, and Dragon Rouge the room it stands in.

Otherwise worth noting there was quite a long waiting list before the commission on this carving started. I knew this ahead of time, Colin told me it would take about a year and a half as he had a number of clients in the queue. Providing ample time for building up excitement, but also for saving up because the carving wasn't cheap 🤭

I think it turned out great in the end, definitely worth the wait. Back in 2023, Colin had carved a wooden statue titled Inspire, located within walking distance from home along Rock Creek in Bethesda, Maryland. It's in a public park so everyone can see and appreciate the carving up close. I especially liked the dragon on it, so I told myself I needed one for home in the newly renovated Dragon Rouge room 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Last but not least, I would like to thank my mother, Una Raymond. For one, she helped to finance the carving, but she is also the main inspiration behind it as the pure Welsh dragon of the family. Born and raised in Wales, whereas I lived most of my life in the New World (USA + Canada).

Please note this photo is for personal use only, and prints have been disabled as a result.