Pigeon Forge, TN (October 17, 2008)… Randal Martin was among the master carvers competing at the Woodcarving Showcase and Competition, October 3-5 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. He arrived early to retrieve most of the carvings from the Cliff Dwellers Gallery, where they are displayed and sold in Gatlinburg, TN. The effort was not without reward. He won 2nd Best Of Show, seven first place, and five second place ribbons. Of the Top 25 carvings of the entire show, six of his entries were chosen and held a prominent place in the honors display.
Martin has received ribbons and awards for every carving he has ever entered in a competition. The first songbird he ever carved won Best of Show and First Place at the Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville in 2001. His talent has even been recognized internationally with commissions from around the globe. An intricate hummingbird carving was purchased in 2006 and presented to the vice-president of Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Company (NTT), the single largest corporation in Japan.
Martin feels that his greatest honor to date was being selected to carve a bluebird ornament for the nation’s White House Christmas tree for an ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ seasonal theme. He and his wife were invited to attend the unveiling at the White House. Upon learning Martin has only been carving for seven years, many master carvers who have judged the Ward World Championship carving show have been astounded, and commented that his work shows craftsmanship indicative of someone carving for several decades.
Martin was chosen as a carving associate for The Cliff Dwellers Art Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN in 2005. “We work hard to listen to our visitors and provide the one-of-a-kind artwork that encourages the support of loyal returning customers”, said Louse Bales, co-owner and artist of Cliff Dwellers. “All six of our owners are artists like myself, and between us we offer watercolor art, weaving, marbling, basket making, glasswork, pottery and more. For nearly five years, we had searched for the caliber of wildfowl wood carver to fit with the quality of offerings in our gallery. One look at Randal’s work, and the search was over.”
Next weekend, guests will have an opportunity to view Randal’s work, along with all of the stunning artwork of not only all six owner/artists, but many other associates in the area. Oct 22-26, the annual Fall Gallery Gathering will be in full swing at the Cliff Dwellers Gallery, 668 Glades Road, Gatlinburg, TN. For more information visit www.cliffdwellersgallery.com, or call 1-865-436-6921.
To view Martin’s carvings, visit http://www.wood-feathers.com/
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PRESS RELEASE SPECIFIC IMAGES:
Shown, from left: Artist Randal Martin, and Cliff Dwellers co-owners:
Louise Bales, Theresa Tyler, and Pat Thomas.
Randal Martin
Northern Oriole