Todd Wohlt
(American, b. 1968)

Malachite Sunbird Pair

2010, 21"x8"x12", wood

    Todd Wohlt has been carving birds for 30 years. In 1990, at 21 years old, he became a World Champion Carver and won the John Scheeler Memorial Award. Since then, he has won five more World Championships. Wohlt works as an illustrator for a packaging company and only carves part-time. He feels his sculptures have been influenced by great artists such as Marc Schultz, Larry Barth, Ernie Muehlmatt, Pat Godin and John Sharp. He tries to incorporate natural wood in many of his creations.

The Malachite Sunbird is a small bird that can be mainly found in hilly, aloe habitats in South Africa. They feed mainly on nectar and small insects. The sunbird has a fast and direct flight, hovering like a hummingbird to take nectar.