Earl Martz: Wood Carving Illustrated

Earl Martz has been a professional artist for more than 30 years. He started his career in 1970 as a mural painter with United States Army and still is fascinated by painting wildlife which is the primary subject matter of his work.

He has studied taxidermy, engraving, scrimshaw, and sculpting, and is an avid student of nature where he likes to spend most of his time. He creates stunning sculptures combining painting and carving on found wood in abstract shapes.

Artist's statement: "It occurred to me that nature and animal could become one in sculpture- the gentle twist of strong wood matching the subtle curves of a wild animal. In searching out only the best pieces to begin working with, I'll immediately go for pleasing lines and only select something with a heightened visual appeal, but some of these pieces will sit for a couple of years or more before becoming something that I will use to bring out a particular animal. Over a period of 15 years now, I've found outstanding pieces of wood from Maine to Montana... even down in the bayous of Louisiana. It can be hard to describe the process of making each one into a particularly original work of art, because that choice of matching the wood to a certain form doesn't happen everyday, but when it finally does come about, you know you've got the best shape for what the wood is going to become."

Each one-of-a-kind piece is full of intricate carvings and precise paint strokes. It's a work of a genius carving the feathers and fur on those animals making them look so real. To view more of his work and detailed close-ups watch the video below.