Hello Alan,
Thanks for your comments!
I'm surely the last to claim that one needs any university degree to be good at just about anything! (Sometimes formal education helps - sometimes it doesn't; same-o for learning by doing or growing into a family business...
)
I realize that carving is a really widespread skill and that off-season periods allow for a diversity of side activities. This may well explain the majority of these heavily carved wronko which tend to exhibit modest craftsmanship. However, there also are some examples which display superior flow of lines and attention to detail; I'd assume that someone with such skills and talent quickly rises into a semi-pro role and doing such work not only for himself but also for others. Division of labour seems to be a very common and widespread trait in human cultures.
Regards,
Kai