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 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. The varieties of wood I use to create my
carvings come either from my own property in St. Germain or from the large forest tracts of Northern W isconsin. Some of my favorite carving woods include Butternut, Birch, Poplar, Cedar, Basswood, and Oak. I have also
created carvings using Walnut, Cherry and Pine as well.
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. I strive to make each carving feel lifelike. The
glass eyes seem to help achieve this goal. Click on my Hand-Carving Process page to view the many steps it takes to
create a new piece. Each original carving represents hours and hours of handcarving time alone. A typical carving
takes 200-250 hours or more before it is dated and signed. The painting process alone, using thin semi-transparent layers
of artist oils, consumes many hours. I try to average roughly one new carving per month.
 Note that some of the woodcarvings displayed on this site have already been sold. I recently posted photos
of 9 brand new pieces that I have finalized this Spring. They have been in the works since Spring
of 2009. These new pieces will be featured at the upcoming 2010 summer art shows. The new pieces include
a Barn Owl (my first), a Snowy Owl, a Northern Hawk Owl, a Boreal Owl, a Peregrine Falcon, a Great Gray Owl,
and a Bald Eagle holding a Northern Pike in its talons.
I'm currently working on a few new
carvings that may be completed late this year. There are two lifesize carvings of Pileated Woodpeckers and another of a Barred
Owl. All three are being carved from large chunks of Birch. Plus I have a Basswood carved Barred Owl that is looking good.
The original pieces I have created can be found in homes and businesses across the United States from Washington State,
to Montana, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky 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.
Thank you for visiting Wildlife in Wood. I hope you enjoy viewing the original handcarved art I have created.
Barry W. Benecke
St. Germain, Wisconsin
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