National treasures

After 30 years of creating wildlife sculptures using Oregon myrtlewood as his primary material, nature artist and sculptor Terry Woodall of North Bend, Ore., is now an international exhibitor and the author of a new book celebrating the medium, Myrtlewood Memoirs: The Art & Heritage of Oregon Myrtlewood.

The illustrated, 224-page book covers the wood’s history and heritage. It also chronicles his life and career. Woodall established his company, Pacific Carvings, in North Bend in 1982 and has produced carvings in myrtlewood ever since.

“Myrtlewood Memoirs is the story of human integration with a bounty of wild nature, beginning with the Spanish explorers’ sightings on America’s West Coast. My successes in the art world would never have occurred if I weren’t at home in the heartland of myrtlewood country to pursue my creative work,” he says.

“In the book, I make the claim that myrtlewood is a national treasure, based on these facts: Myrtle is the only tree of the laurel family native to North America and grows only on the West Coast of Oregon and Northern California, and nowhere else on earth. Myrtlewood is one of the most beautiful of all rare woods and used in fine woodworking for over a century.”

Woodall’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and art galleries throughout the world. He lectures on wildlife for the Oregon State Parks Department and is a member of Artists for Conservation and The Society of Animal Artists. The book is available at terrywoodall.com. 

This article was originally published in the February 2023 issue.