Hand carved and painted Minke Whale plaque by Wendy Lichtensteiger
Hand Carved and Painted Minke Whale by Wendy Lichtensteiger
Bass wood and painted with multiple layers of milk paint, creating a one of a kind finish. Hanger included for easy wall hanging. Roughly 23" long
Available in seven species.
Wendy Lichtensteiger
Continuing in the tradition of Wick Ahrens and Clark Voorhees before him, Wendy is the latest and third generation of artists from Vermont carving these wonderful whales.
After studying Studio Art at Arizona State University and moving back to the east coast to help open the Wooden Feather Folk Art Gallery, Wendy underwent a 5 year apprenticeship with her father Lance, himself a woodcarver of over 35 years. Having honed her woodcarving skills on the Jersey shore, she has built a woodshop of her own in the wooded mountains of Vermont.
In 2012, a friend and fellow carver Wick Ahrens called upon Wendy to assist him with his carving as his health began to fail. Wick is a renowned whale sculptor and the proprietor of The Whales in Vermont Gallery in Weston Vermont. With 12 years of carving under her belt, Wendy quickly stepped up and aided Wick in the creation of his wall plaques and his one of a kind museum pieces. After Wick’s passing, Wendy took over his whale plaque carvings and continues to take special care to do right by both his business and the excellent reputation he amassed over many years of carving.
Each plaque is beautifully crafted from Basswood and given multiple layers of milk paint to give the finished product a wonderful surface and personality.