GERRY SUTTER

Anyone who has traveled in the west is familiar with the distinctive rattling chatter, the high-pitched call and the large swooping shadows of the raven. They remain as iconic an image of the American West as ever, surprising visitors with their sheer size and beauty. Artist Gerry Sutter has mastered, with great skill and inimitable artistic inspiration, the ability to draw from sections of Tupelo wood life-size ravens that seem destined to fly.

Sutter's rural upbringing allowed him to spend countless hours studying the flora and fauna around him; this led to a career in research biology developing environmentally sound pest management practices in field crops. A chance attendance at a wildlife woodcarving show left a lasting impression in Sutter and when his research career ended he took up the challenge to not only learn woodcarving but to excel at it. He is primarily self-taught, acquiring his skills from reference books and many, many hours of practice. This devotion has led Sutter's extraordinary carvings to win national and international competitions.

Each one-of-a-kind raven is carved from Tupelo wood, has metal legs, glass eyes and stands poised on a cut section of Juniper wood. The detailing that close inspection reveals is spellbinding.