Hank Tyler
Tom Beattie
Mr. Tyler is an internationally known sculptor of birds in wood. He began realistic sculpture of birds in 1960 under the guidance of Charles G. Chase. Early exhibits included: MacKenzie Gallery in Brunswick, Maine in 1961 – Best of the Show, Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine in 1971 – One Man Show. Ogunquit Art Center, Ogunquit, Maine in 1977 – Special Merit Award.
Mr. Tyler is a founding member of The Society for Wildlife Art for the Nation (UK), and has been invited to exhibit in “Birds in Art” at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2012, and 2016. In 1995, Mr. Tyler was awarded the Society of Animal Artists’ Award of Excellence for “Resting for the Day.”
Having grown up on Maine’s coast, shorebirds and oceanic birds are Tyler’s most consistently chosen subjects. The designs and proportions of Tyler’s bird sculptures are generally reflective of the actual birds and their behaviours.
Articles and photographs of Mr. Tyler’s sculpture have appeared in Fine Woodworking Biennial Design Book (1977), Natural World , UK (1986), Wildlife Art News (1995) featuring Mr. Tyler’s work, and Wildfowl Carving Competition (2000); Wildlife Art (2004) Spotlight.
Since 2000, Tyler has created artistically designed spoons, spatulas and knives out of a variety of hardwoods.
Mr. Tyler was educated as a zoologist and oceanographer, and devoted his professional life to conservation issues in the State of Maine. He is well known for protection efforts for rare plants, old-growth forests and ecologically significant habitats. He has been active in many non-profit conservation organizations including national president of the Natural Areas Association.
Tyler is co-founder of Art for Nature – Nepal that held its first wildlife art symposium in December 2015.