I started in this trade in 1986 as an intern on the construction of the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. I was handed a trowel and pointed at a wall, and something clicked immediately. The idea that you could take ordinary building materials and turn them into something that looked like it had been carved by wind and water over thousands of years, that was it for me. I've been chasing that goal ever since.

What I do is simulate nature. Rocks, trees, cave systems, coral, root structures, geological formations, if it exists in the natural world, I've probably tried to recreate it in concrete, foam, resin, or some combination of all three. I've built environments for Disneyland, SeaWorld, major zoos on multiple continents, world-class resorts, and private clients who wanted something truly one of a kind in their own backyard. The scale changes, the materials change, the geology changes, but the core challenge is always the same. Make it real. Make it believable. Make it so good that people stop and look twice.

After nearly four decades of doing that on jobsites around the world, I started putting everything I know into a format other people could actually use. The training library at Carve-Right.com grew out of a simple idea, there is no good reason to keep this knowledge to myself. Whether you're a contractor looking to add naturalistic rockwork to your portfolio, or an artist just discovering what's possible with sculptural concrete, the techniques I teach are the same ones I use on professional projects every day.

I also developed the Carve-Right™ mix because I kept running into the same frustrations on the job. Traditional cement mixes weren't doing what I needed them to do. So I engineered one that does, lighter than standard cement, formulated to reduce efflorescence, and sticky enough to stay exactly where you put it. It's the material I wish I'd had when I was starting out.

Career and Credentials:

Richard L. Winget has been sculpting naturalistic environments professionally since 1986, building one of the most varied and widely recognized careers in the themed environment industry.

His project work spans virtually every category the industry touches. At Disneyland alone, he has contributed to Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo, Tom Sawyer's Island, Splash Mountain, the Matterhorn, Downtown Disney's Rain Forest Cafe, California Adventure, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge — across multiple decades of ongoing work. Additional theme park credits include Universal Studios and major installations at SeaWorld, among them the Manta Coaster iconic rock formation, Turtle Reef, and Dolphin Point.

His approach to naturalistic environments has always been rooted in close observation of the real thing. That philosophy carries directly into his teaching. The Carve-Right training library covers the full arc of the craft, armature and structure, texture coat application, carving and detailing, coloring and finishing, with enough depth to be genuinely useful to working professionals and enough clarity to be accessible to those just getting started.

Richard introduced Carve-Right™ in 2010 as a precisely engineered sculptural concrete design mix purpose-built for the demands of the scenic and themed environment industry. It has since been adopted by artists and contractors across the country and internationally. His YouTube channel, HDHDT: How Did He Do That?, offers a free entry point into his methods and thinking, with an inside look at real projects and real techniques.

He is a Union Local 200 Journeyman Rock Carver, a multiple award winner at the Western Pool and Spa Show, and a recipient of AZA Significant Achievement Awards for exhibit design. His work has been featured in Landscape Management, Pool Science, Homes by Design, and Watershapes.

The best teachers are the ones who have actually done the work. Browse the training library, watch a few videos, and see if what I'm teaching is what you've been looking for.

Richard L. Winget rlw@carve-right.com +1-714-318-3994