Wildlife In Wood

NEW May 2012! Great Horned Owl Pair carved from a solid piece of Butternut.	Welcome to Wildlife in Wood. The original bird carvings I create are carved lifesize from a single block of wood or natural log. I primarily carve birds of prey... owls, hawks, eagles and osprey. I carefully select each piece of wood  used to create a carving.  Each piece of wood receives an extended drying period before I make my first cut. My two favorite carving woods are Butternut and Birch. I will sometimes work in other woods... Poplar, Cedar, or Basswood. I have also created carvings using some of the local hardwoods... Oak, Walnut, and Cherry. The tools I use are primarily the traditional handheld carving gouges, sweeps, V-tools and a mallet.
My goal for each new carving is to create a piece of artwork that is unique, complete with the special hand-carved edges only found using this process. Click on the page The Handcarving Process to see how the feathering detail is achieved. I strive to make each carving feel lifelike. The glass eyes also help to achieve this goal. The individual veins of each feather are handcarved one tiny cut after another. A typical carving represents hundreds of hours before it is ready to be signed. The painting process I have developed uses thin semi-transparent layers of artist oils to achieve the deep rich colors of the bird. I try to average roughly one new carving per month. I normally spend anywhere from 2 to 8 hours carving every single day. A good day (8 hours) of detailing feathers will cover roughly six square inches of a typical carving.
NEW May 2012! Custom order Fox carving created from one solid log. See Works in Progress page.	Some of the woodcarvings displayed on this site are commissioned pieces or have already been sold. I continue to post photos of new pieces as they are being created. Some of my recent 2011/2012 woodcarvings include; a wall mounted Saw-whet Owl, a Barn Owl, a Northern Hawk Owl, a Barred Owl, Boreal Owls, and a unique Burrowing Owl. I'm also working on my first Loon carving and a pair of Great Horned Owls perched as a pair. One other carving that you might want to check-out is the Peregrine Falcon that is perched on top of a giant 8' tall white pine tree. Click on Works in Progress to view. My carvings can be found in homes and businesses across the United States from Washington State, to Montana, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachussetts, Virginia and Wisconsin. If you are interested in owning one of my carvings please contact me via email or phone for a price estimate and completion date.
I've added a new page featuring a unique clothing line for any owl, hawk, eagle or other wildlife fan. Each piece features my own... "I'VE GONE WILD" graphic design. Quantities and sizes are limited. Please send an email or call with your size, and color choice. Thank you for visiting Wildlife in Wood. I hope you enjoy viewing the original handcarved art I have created. Please sign my guestbook before you go. Barry W. Benecke artist/carver Saint Germain, Wisconsin	Cutting each individual vein into a feather using a V-tool.
Pileated Woodpecker carved from a solid piece of Birch. 2010	My new trailer with one of my more recent carvings, a Snowy Owl perched on a deer antler shed.