Pete
Ortel
Peter
Ortel, New York City born and raised, retired from
the New York Fire Department after serving for 21 years
as a Firefighter and started carving in 1990. After
a lifetime as New Yorkers, Peter and his wife Madelyn
are now residents of South Carolina.
He was elected into the Caricature Carvers of America
in 1992 and served as president of the CCA from 1996
to 1998. He is the co founder of the Mid Hudson Woodcarvers
Guild and a member of several woodcarving groups including
the National Woodcarvers Association and the Affiliated
Woodcarvers.
He always had a fondness for cartooning and love for
wood but when he combined the two by carving caricatures,
it became his passion. The excitement and diversity
of the environment he knows are his inspiration and
his imagination and humor are reflected in his carvings
of the everyday people we see around us, if we really
look.
Peter’s work has been featured on local Television,
several newspapers and national and international magazines.
He has won many awards and has taught carving classes
around the country. His biggest success to date was
to win the Best of Show award and People’s Choice
award at the 2000 International Woodcarvers Congress
in Davenport, Iowa for his carving he calls “Love”.
Because a caricature has never done this before, it
is considered a major breakthrough for caricature carving.
He is presently teaching seminars and speaking at woodcarving
clubs, wood carving shows and events throughout the
country and is available for commissions. His enthusiasm,
animation and shared knowledge inspire his students
to discover their creativity and individuality in a
fun atmosphere. As an instructor, he stresses originality
and he helps to cultivate the artist within each of
us by encouraging students to stretch their ability
and imagination. He teaches his students the theories
behind the woodcuts so students not only learn how
to carve in the classroom but they also can take and
use that knowledge on their own.
For information or
to have Peter teach in your area please contact:
Peter J. Ortel Studio
116 Mesa Raven Drive
Longs, SC 29568
peterjortel@yahoo.com
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