My name is Randy Janowiak, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois for 35 years. In 1979 I moved to the Tampa Bay area working for Honeywell in the Aerospace Division, as a Test/Production Engineer. After 28 years I left Honeywell and completed my career at Goodrich, Avionics Division.

During my working career, my interest in wildlife grew with intensity and the desire to create these wonderful creatures. Being self-taught, I started with relief carvings and found myself not satisfied with this art form, I had to make a carving “In-the-round” (Three dimensional piece). I began carving small simplistic pieces, such as dolphins, devil rays, lions, birds and a turtle. This too was not satisfying, the pieces were too small, and they just didn’t have the “WOW” factor.

So I then started to think “BIG”, but to get the “WOW”, the pieces had to be very “Realistic”. My first large carving was the “Lioness”, a task far beyond my skill level or was it? I just didn’t know. As I was coming to the final stages of this piece I knew it was pretty good, because my daughter’s dog would come into the garage where I was working and growl at it.

I entered the “Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo & Competition”, as an “Intermediate” carver, my “Lioness” would win “1 st place and Best of Show”. I won and got the “WOW”. I moved up into the “Advanced” carving level where my “Tarpon” sculpture would win 1st place. The following year my “Sailfish” sculpture, would win “1 st place and Best of Show”, “WOW”! I advanced to the final carving level,” Masters”, the highest level and the most critically judged level. Here I would enter my “Green Sea Turtle” and I won “1st place and Best of Show”, WOW.

It wasn’t just the winning that was great, but the people coming up to me telling me how much they love the piece. I found my love in carving and the “WOW”! My Love is taking a piece a wood and turning it into a beautiful realistic wood sculpture. If I’m not working on a major sculpture, I carve smaller pieces for improving my carving technique. Birds such as: “Blue Jays” and “Cardinals”. Harry Potter “Elder Wands” in Red Oak or mixed media Wands of Acrylic rods and Purple Heart wood.