Bruce Henn

Bruce has been woodcarving since 1970.  Woodcarving has been his passion from the first time he picked up a knife and put it to wood and out came a bear, or was it a rabbit?  When he first began carving, he tried many styles and types of carving, but quickly developed a love of carving caricatures, both animal and human.  He enjoys the humor, especially the public’s reaction to his style of carving, while still appreciation the artistry in all styles of woodcarving.  He enthusiastically promotes caricature carving to anyone and everyone who will listen.

He is a member and past president of the Woodcarvers Guild in Dayton, Ohio and the Brunker Society of Nature Carvers of Troy, Ohio.  He is also a member of the National Woodcarvers Association, Cincinnati, OH, E.W.C.C. of Converse, IN and the Affiliated Woodcarvers, Ltd., Davenport, IA.

Bruce began teaching woodcarving in 1981.  He has taught both beginning and advance techniques at seminars throughout the Midwest.  In 2005, he taught 14 woodcarving classes, participated in 11 woodcarving shows and was asked to demonstrate caricature face carving at 9 shows.  He promotes and demonstrates carving at every opportunity, including woodcarving meetings and shows, civic organizations, Boy Scouts, and will help any woodcarver that he can with a problem.  He even demonstrated his techniques at a soapcarving class for a local elementary school and has been a Boy Scout Merit Badge Counselor for a number of years.  He has also helped with the youth classes at the Affiliated Woodcarvers Congress (AWC).  He enjoys taking classes himself whenever possible.

Having won numerous woodcarving show awards, including first place at the International Woodcarvers Congress in Davenport, Iowa, he himself has been judging various shows since 1995.  In 1997, Bruce received the CCA merit ribbon at the EWCC show in Converse, IN.  In 1998 he received the prestigious Ron Ryan award at the Artistry in Wood Show held in Dayton, OH.  This award is voted upon once a year by an anonymous group of peers and is presented to an individual “who exemplifies the ideals of giving of oneself, expressing goodwill, and exerting the extra effort needed to promote woodcarving throughout the carving world”.  He was also the “featured” carver at the 1998 Cincinnati Show.  He was the featured carver at the Sunrise Woodcarving Show of Michigan in May 2006.

Bruce has appeared in many local newspaper articles, radio and TV interviews throughout the years.  He has appeared on the TV program, American Woodshop, a PBS program featuring Scott Phillips as the host.  The Dayton Carvers Guild featured him as the debuted their website.  Bruce has been on the first place team carve and placed first in the individual carving contest also placing in the pumpkin carving contest at the Dollywood Show in Tennessee.

Bruce currently sells his work; judges’ shows and teaches seminars.