This piece will be auctioned off by The Rocky Mountain Elk foundation at their annual convention in Feb. 2009.

This is a hand carved Elk.   I carved it using a technique involving layering cut out blanks.  Each piece is slice of the entire carving.   These thinner slices are easier to cut to size on my 14 " band saw.   Once I have them lamenated together, the act of carving is greatly simplified.   If done well this technique adds greatly to the strength  of a woodcarving.   The Antlers are not carved from wood.  Trade secret there.  

Woodcarvings exist in a wide range of styles, everything from chainsaw carvings, widdled sticks, to high end, life like decoys, and European archetural Woodcarvings.  In the US Woodcarvings are more seen as Craft than art form.    My works cover a wide range of styles, but the most successful style is along the line depicted in this Elk Wood Carving.   These pieces fall closer to some of the Bronze wildlife art that has been so popular.   Woodcarvings of wildlife, tend to be one of a kind,  not as durable,  and not mass producable, like bronzes.

I would be interested in hearing from other scupltural artists on how their works are precieved in the market place.