" I have no idea what compels an individual
to participate in a solitary environment hour after hour, carving
many single feathers or burning line after line to create feather
realism. There are those who would say it is craziness, I just
call it therapeutic."
Recently while at a woodcarving show,
someone asked me, "What are you trying to prove?" I
replied, "Nothing, absolutely nothing, except maybe the
opportunity to exchange a smile or kind word with someone looking at
my work."
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I
began carving in 1977, while living in Edmonds,
WA. I carved primarily eagles, eagle busts, and
any Native American type carving. In 1980 I won
Best of Show in the Professional Artists of the
Central Washington State Fair. After carving
everything and specializing in nothing for a
number of years, I carved my first realistic bird
in 1992. Since then I have studied with a couple
of master carvers and learned the fundamentals of
bird carving. I have spent a great deal of time
researching anatomy, habitat and realism. Today I
carve primarily songbirds and game birds. In the future I
will expand my carving levels to include other
forms of wildlife, as well as carving on
commissions to meet the needs of a growing
clientele. In one sentence, I am an artist who
creates life-like, life-size wildlife in wood that
I market in the Pacific Northwest. Although I have
never attended art school, I have spent
considerable time in learning from master carvers
in the Pacific Northwest. I have taught
woodcarving at community school adult programs in
Washington, California, and Idaho. Because
environmental issues concern us all, I attempt to
portray life-like, life-size wildlife primarily
songbirds, game birds, and raptors in their
natural setting. The exciting part of what I do is
that I can follow any path that I choose to
explore.
Honors
and Recognitions:
·
Quail Unlimited
National Foundation- California Quail bust for
inclusion into their art catalog.
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Pheasant Forever
Foundation- Ring Neck Pheasant bust for inclusion
in the Wild fowl Art catalog.
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Placed 3rd in the
world, Songbird class, Pacific Flyway Association,
Sacramento.
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Attained expert
class status, Pacific Northwest Carver's
Association in 1997.
I attend
many shows and competitions throughout the Pacific
Northwest. I am a member of Bird Carver's On-Line,
The Decoy Carvers Forum, and The National Woodcarver's
Association.
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