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| Hank Tyler with Abstract in Red Box |
For sixty-one years I have been sculpting birds in wood. I am self-taught and was influenced from the age of 15 years on by the American, Chippy Chase, a masterful sculptor of birds…and, luckily, a neighbor. My boyhood home had a workbench and woodworking tools, and my father had access to logs of Brazilian Rosewood and African Bubinga wood. Each sculpture is from one contiguous piece of wood.
The proportions of birds I sculpt are as in nature with a slightly stylized aspect. The bases impart aspects of the bird’s habitat. The sculptures are sanded to #600 grit and finished with tung oil.
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| Three sitting sandpipers |
Bird sculptures have been juried into the annual “Birds in Art” exhibition 14 times. “Birds in Art” is sponsored by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin, US. Six museums in the US and one in UK own pieces of my sculpture.
During the past decade I have branched out and have sculpted abstracts, spoons and spatulas.
I first visited Australia as a backpacker in early 1970’s, returning many times since. Our son settled in Melbourne in 2006. In early 2020 my wife and I made the move from the US to Eltham near our son and his family. In Eltham I have a large woodworking shed and offer wood sculpting classes.
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| Sandpiper and Wave, Bubinga |
I am involved with woodworking clubs in Manningham and Eltham, and teach at Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking in Blackburn. During this past eighteen months my sculptures have been exhibited at Stone House Gallery in Warrandyte, Montsalvat in Eltham, an Art Popup in Eaglemont, and in the exhibition, Overwintering Project, at Mornington Regional Gallery.
I am enjoying using Australian timbers and exploring their different uses in sculptures and spoons. To date, I have completed sculptures and spoons in Red Gum, Lemon-scented Gum, Huon Pine, Blackwood and Jarrah.
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| Long-billed Curlew |
My routine is to sculpt up to a dozen pieces simultaneously but at different stages giving me time to closely examine, think about each piece. This also allows me ample time to smooth and sand out all the scratches and minute gouges.
I frequently post photos of works in progress and those recently completed on Facebook and Instagram.
For further examples of the work, please, visit my website at: hanktylersculptor.com
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| Leachs-storm ,Petrel - Hank Tyler |
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| Eight Dunlin Sandpipers |
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