Hometown: Moravian Falls, NC

Audie Bloise was born in Puerto Rico. He has been a bird watcher and art lover all his life, with a particular interest in art that depicts birds. In 1982 he became aware of bird carving as an art form, and vowed that he was going to learn to carve. Skills practiced in his profession as a veterinarian and his hobby of taxidermy gave him invaluable knowledge of anatomical details, and the ability to perform meticulous and careful work.

Audie taught himself the art of carving by studying videos, books and other publications, and completed his first piece in 2006. He began entering competitions in 2009 as a way of meeting and learning from other carvers.

The Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition is the most prestigious bird carving competition in the world. Held every April in Ocean City, Maryland, it welcomes carvers from all over the world. After competing and winning at all levels Audie officially became a master carver in 2013.

Bird carving is Audie’s passion. His goal is to create a sculpture that is both a realistic depiction of the bird and a balanced artistic composition, as well as telling a story about the bird’s life.