A very beautiful miniature White Pelican wood carving from the 1980's.
Mounted on a cherry wood base dated 1984. One of my earliest 'serious'. carvings, the pose is a simple one , with an emphasis on the face and bill creating a soft, expressive look to the subject. I had kept the overall form simple because I thought at one point I would create a mold of the piece to cast in resin, but never got around to doing so.
The sculpture won "First Place Seabirds" Professional Miniatures at the Ward Foundation World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition.
Approximately 9 inches tall. Carved Basswood.