About the Artist
Due to a back injury which resulted in a spinal fusion,
Artist Gary Gunn is unable to sit for
long periods of time in comfort. Because of this, his art studio is equipped
with a day bed in addition to a chair. When actually sculpting an
egg, he lies on his right side, propped up on the right elbow, holds the
egg in his right hand and cuts with his left. Fortunately, most of the
work is merely preparatory and can be done a little at a time. However,
once the actual carving begins, the portrait must be completed. There is
no stopping point and "getting back to it later". As you can
imagine, this is an exhausting, albeit rewarding endeavor - especially
when an portrait takes 6 or more hours to complete.
This inability to sit for long periods keeps Gary from setting up booths at
very many shows. For a list of shows Gary plans on attending this year,
contact the artist.
 Despite the handicap, Gary is developing a name for himself as a portrait
carver and has even been called upon by the American Emu Association to carve
several special presentation eggs for their 2000 Symposium guest speakers.
The son of a carpenter, Gary started off playing
around with left over wood scraps. In high school
 he
took wood shop and later learned automotive refinishing. As an adult
he became interested in hot air ballooning and eventually found himself carving
instrument panels for a growing number of balloon enthusiasts. Gary Gunn
took an interest in carving emu eggs when he saw the work of another artist at a
show. "I was intimidated by the delicate medium, I mean, I had been
working with wood!" Several broken eggs later, he had the hang of it
and has not looked back since.
 Gary's maternal Grandfather, George Hoover, was a full blooded
Cherokee. It was through him that he developed a love for American Indian
history and his heritage pride. His favorite egg to carve is one with an American
Indian on it - although the Civil War generals
run a close second.
.
See what the media is saying about Texas Artist Gary Gunn:
Animals Exotic & Small - coming soon
Emu's Zine Winner Carved 2003
Emu's
Zine Sept/Oct 2000
Ponca City News 4/12/00
Star-Telegram 9/9/99
Emu's
Zine Nov/Dec 99
Star-Telegram 2/17/99
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