"Winner of numerous awards in the wildfowl carving field, Finch has also exhibited in the New Orleans Museum Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Natural History, the Leigh-Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wasau Wisconsin, the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT., and at the Easton Waterfowl Festival, Easton Maryland. He is a six-time Gulf South Champion and has won Best of Show Honors in Open, Best in Masters', three times, and has placed in the top three Best in World Level three times."
1st Bird of Prey Decorative Life size Open Class and 1st Best of Show Open Class at the World Show
This Barn Own was selected to be exhibited in the annual Woodson Art Museum Birds in Art Exhibit in 1993 "...Throughout the years, Birds in Art has morphed and grown and now is recognized around the world as the exhibit that sets the standard for avian art."
The Wildfowl Carving Competition magazine is published once yearly and it is quite an honor to have your work featured on the cover. Above left is Richard's Borrowing Owl on the 2002 cover. This piece also won the Gulf South Competition purchase award and is now in the Phillips Petroleum collection. He took top honors at the Gulf South Grand Prize six times. The Screech Owl with sparrow on the right placed third in the World competition at the Ward World Championship and was used as the spotlight piece in their magazine promotion.
The World Championship is an international event where carvers, collectors, and visitors convene at the end of each April in Ocean City, MD. From highly decorative works of art to functional hunting decoys, more than 1200 different wildfowl carvings representing more than 150 species from around the world can be viewed at the premiere, most prestigious competition in the world. Competitors of all levels--from youth to world champions--compete against their peers for the chance to win a portion of nearly $70,000 in prize money, as well as other recognition including ribbons, medallions, plaques and trophies. There are 39 different divisions in which an artist can compete--decorative life-size and miniature wildfowl, floating waterfowl, interpretive, gunning decoys and contemporary antiques to name a few.
Common Nighthawk 2nd World Class at Ward Foundation also chosen for Birds in Art Exhibition
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl with Inca Dove; 1st Birds of Prey Master Level & 1st Best of Show Masters Ward Foundation World Show 2006
Great Horned Owl 1st Best of Show in Decorative Lifesize Catagory, Professional level Gulf South Championships and
1st place Bird of Prey in Decorative Lifesize Masters Level at World.
The World Show had in the beginning 4 levels of competition; Novice, Intermediate, and Open, and the World Level. In 2000 they set up one more level; Masters'. In order to compete in Masters' a carver had to have won a 1st, 2nd, 3rd in the World Level OR won two 1st Best of Show in Open, which is now called Advanced. Now there are five levels; Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Masters', & World.
Coopers Hawk at the 2003 annual Woodson Art Museum Birds in Art Exhibition
Cedar Waxwings, Gulf South Championship Grand Prize Winner
I am extremely proud of Dick's work. He was always a "bird brain" and I spent many hours trailing after him on birdwalks as a kid. In the 1980s Dick opened his on business carving brass dyes for the industrial arts. Handcraft Engraving was a successful business but over the years it became obvious that computer generated images would take over the market. By chance he and his wife Jill attended a Duck Stamp exhibit in a Dallas Gallery ; Collectors' Gallery . Dick said "Everything in there was geared to the sportsman, more or less. I don't even remember getting to the exhibit because I got sidetracked by a little quail on a base. On closer inspection, I realized it wasn't taxidermy". He corralled the gallery owner, Bubba Woods, and questioned him about the quail. "He proceeded to educate me on the art of bird carving, artists' names, and about the World Competition in Ocean City, MD". What a life changing event for Dick. He started carving birds as a hobby and it soon became evident that this was his calling. In the 90's he began carving and competing in many shows and in 1997 he sold his business and began carving wildfowl full time and his hobby morphed into a full time vocation and he became know as a world class carver and a competitor to recon with.
Contact Richard for available pieces in his personal collection!
You can reach Richard via email at JAMES R FINCH
Here is a link to the Wildfowl Art magazine article on the 2008 World Show where Richard won Best in Show Masters with a Carolina Wren. You will see this is a large show with lots of talent on display. It is the largest wildfowl competition in the world and all of the best carvers exhibit here. Richard has also served as judge at this show.
My sister Fay Finch Kelley is also an accomplished artist, prefers oil on canvas. The following is a small sample of her work. I also draw and paint but have not done so in years. Recently I researched our family tree and found the source of all the talent...our mother! Emma May Finch was descended from a long line of artist, both on her mother and fathers side of the pedigree. I understand our great grandmother has paintings hung in a museum in the panhandle of Texas
The Artwork of Frances Fay Kelley
