Local carver’s work displayed at Art Center

Local wood carver Robin Warburton is opening an exhibition at the Waseca Art Center’s Beckman Gallery this Friday, May 12, with a welcoming reception from 5 to 7 p.m. This display was made with support from an artist grant from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts council, which receives funding from the McKnight Foundation.

Warburton specializes in realistic sculptures of birds, which is what she will be displaying in Waseca. She has been featured in Cage and Aviary Birds Magazine, a publication based in the United Kingdom; she is widely recognized for both her artistic acumen and her dedication to wildlife causes. She supports owl conservation and is involved in a movement to protect Duluth’s Sax-Zim Bog, which provides habitat for many kinds of birds.

While Wartburton enjoys sculpting all types of birds, she says owls are her absolute favorite. In March, Warburton was a featured artist at the International Owl Center’s Festival of Owls.

Warburton started carving in 2011 using knives but did not produce very many sculptures at first because “it was too slow.”  However, she became increasingly interested over time.

“I decided I really liked this form of art after I saw a carving exhibit in 2014 in Rochester,” said Warburton.

Her artistry really got going in 2015, when she switched to carving with power tools. Around this time, she began studying books and magazines about carving and took a master class with carver Floyd Scholz. 

“After learning the steps, it is just practice, practice, practice,” said Warburton.

Warburton will be demonstrating how she carves a flammulated owl (one with flame-shaped markings) at the Waseca Art Center from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 19, at a special event titled “See How It’s Created.” Her exhibit will remain open through June 23.