Sabrina Santiago spends another morning working on her latest wood carving inside her Yonkers home’s garage, a makeshift workshop for her business, Casa Cherrywood Carvings.

"My pieces, if I had to categorize them, would be conversation pieces…things that are intended to make you feel," she explained. "They are one of a kind. There [are] no two pieces that are the same."

Her love of woodcarving originally started as a pandemic pastime, eventually turning into something far more meaningful.

" I was a senior sales trainer for a telecommunications company for 11 and a half years, [and] at the peak of the pandemic, I was furloughed," Santiago said. "My husband got a discarded table that someone trashed. I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan. So, I went ahead and carved the maps of the series into this table, which I still have with me to this day. From there, it just inspired me to keep going and experiment."

After reading books, watching video tutorials and reaching out to other woodworkers, Santiago soon became a pro, even becoming known for one very advanced technique.

" What I'm really known for is…the Lichtenberg technique," she said. "The Lichtenberg technique is fractal burning, so it's taking electricity to the wood and creating these branch-like patterns... It's a very dangerous technique. However, you must respect the process."

No matter the technique, though, Santiago has seen a large amount of love from customers all over the region.

"When people see my work…they pause," she said. "That's the reaction that I'm looking for: when they pause and look, and they'll say, 'this is beautiful.' The fact that it's done by a Yonkers woman, a local resident, is something that people definitely do appreciate. When I tell them I'm self-taught, they're blown away."

After years of perfecting her craft, Santiago has one message for all aspiring artists out there.

" You're never too young or too old to go out there and pursue your dreams," she said. "So, if I can do it, you can definitely do it."

Santiago's pieces can be bought on her website. Her pieces can also be bought in person at local craft fairs. Santiago will be making her final appearance at the Larchmont Down to Earth Farmers Market on April 19. She also plans to be at the Down to Earth Market in Scarsdale on Chase Rd. every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as the Nyack Street Fairs.