About the Artist
Fly fishing has been an important part of my entire life. The thrill of catching a rainbow or redband trout with lipstick-red color on its side and then carving a likeness of this fish is very rewarding. I capture a split second of time and re-create the beautiful moment in wood and paint.
My carving days began as a child when my dad gave me a pen knife and taught me how to carve small versions of fish and farm animals. At about the same time, he showed me which end of a fishing rod to hold. I caught my first trout when I was seven, in a small stream near Moose, Wyoming.
While attending Diablo Valley College, I majored in art. I received my teaching credential from Cal State Hayward, and currently I teach several woodcarving classes for Mt. Diablo Adult Education. I carve fish using basswood and find other interesting woods for their bases, or I carve and paint “rocks” that fit with the carving and look like they belong on the bottom of a stream. Toolwise, I use anything that will shape the wood, including wood-burning devices for details such as scales. Painting the fish is as difficult as the carving, and it evolves as new paint innovations are discovered and shared among carvers.
Every two years, carvers meet and show their work at the International Carving Show. It’s a great way to learn new techniques and to see how well your efforts compare to those of carvers from around the world I’m busy this winter on my submissions for the show, upcoming in the spring of 2011.
Mike Budesilich, the50gritwoodcarver@yahoo.com
