They Turn Antlers Into Art

They Turn Antlers Into Art 28-2-7 Lawrence Hofstad has been carving since he was nine years old, "I started commercial fishing up in Alaska when I was nine, and though there is a lot of work on a boat, there's also a lot of downtime. So I took some driftwood and started carving." Many years later, Lawrence and his partner Steven Fisher have opened a gallery in Sioux Falls, S. Dak. and their work is being featured in a prominent sporting goods store. "Most people think of antler and horn carvings as trinkets that are done with pocket knives. But when you're working with 40-in. long moose antlers, they stop being trinkets pretty quick," he says. "An eagle carved into a moose antler can take a full two weeks to complete, and a ram horn carving can take much, much longer. The detail and effort we put into our work results in pieces that belong in a gallery and not a gift shop." But the Exotic Carvings Gallery doesn't just do eagle's heads. "We can carve just about anything. If someone can describe it to us, we'll be able to carve it, so custom carving is available," he says. The pieces have even grabbed the attention of museums. "The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame has recently put on display a piece we carved for them," he notes. Pieces can range from $100 to $6,000 and up. "We use the best quality antlers and horns. And because we work in detail, the horns and antlers need to be as large as possible," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Exotic Carvings, 2305 W. Madison, Sioux Falls, S. Dak. 57104 (ph 605 274-6411; email: lawrence@exoticcarvings.com; website: www. exoticcarvings.com).

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