2026 WOODCARVING COMPETITION CATEGORIES
1. Novice Realistic: Category available only to carvers who have carved for less than a year and who are not entering Categories #4-46. Visually accurate depiction of subject. Any subject, any size, and any finish.
2. Novice Caricature: Category available only to carvers who have carved for less than a year and who are not entering Categories #4-#46. Carving must exaggerate or distort physical features, movement and/or expressions for a humorous effect. Any subject, any size and any finish.
3. Novice Relief: Category available only to carvers who have carved for less than a year and who are not entering Categories #4-#46. Any subject including low relief, medium relief, high relief, intaglio relief, and incised carving. Any size and any finish.
4. Novice Pyrography: Category available only to carvers who have carved for less than a year and who are not entering Categories #5-#48. Wood burning on a flat surface. Any finish.
5. Realistic Human Bust(s): Human bust(s), any size and any finish. A visually accurate carving that depicts a person’s head and shoulders. Must be carved in the round.
6. Realistic Human Figure: A full bodied, visually accurate, single human figure, any size and any finish. Must be carved in the round.
7. Realistic Animal Bust: A visually accurate carving depicting an animal’s head and upper chest. Must be carved in the round. Any size and any finish.
8. Realistic Animal Figure: A visually accurate, full bodied, animal representation. Any size and any finish. Must be carved in the round.
9. Realistic Fish or Marine Life: A visually accurate, full bodied, fresh or saltwater fish, amphibian, aquatic mammal. Carved in the round. Any size and any finish.
10. Realistic Group: Two or more humans, animals, aquatic species, birds, etc. Full bodied. Must be permanently mounted as a group. Any size and any finish.
11. Stylized: Artistic subject with a natural wood finish. No detailed, realistic carving may be entered in this category.
12. Cane/Staff: Any subject, any finish.
13. Single or Group Mythical Creature/Carousel Animal: Includes wizards, witches, fairies, dragons, elves, gnomes, carousel animals, etc. Any size and any finish. (Santas must be entered in the Santa Category.)
14. Christmas Ornaments: Any Christmas theme including single or grouped items such as bells, etc. Must be able to hang ornament on a Christmas tree. Any finish.
15. Santa in the Round: Santa bust or full figure. Any finish.
16. Snowman in the Round: Snowman bust or full figure. Any finish.
17. Relief Carving-Santa: Santa carving in relief. Any finish.
18. Relief Carving-Snowman: Snowman carving in relief. Any finish.
19. Relief Carving-Human: Any low relief, medium relief, high relief, intaglio relief, or incised carving. Any size, any finish.
20. Relief Carving-Architectural: Building, structure carved in low relief, medium relief, high relief, intaglio relief, or incised carving. Any size, any finish.
21. Relief Carving-Animals/Aquatic Creatures/Birds: Any subject including low relief, medium relief, high relief, relief, intaglio relief, or incised carving. Any size and any finish.
22. Relief Carving - Other - Except Human, Architectural, Animal, Santa or Snowman: Any subject including low relief, medium relief, high relief, intaglio relief, and incised carving. Any size and any finish.
23. Song Birds in the Round: Any species such as cardinal, blue jay, black capped chickadee, etc. Any size, any finish.
24. Birds of Prey in the Round: Any species such as an eagle, hawk, owl, etc. Any size, any finish.
25. Game Birds in the Round: Any species such as quail, pheasant, etc. Any size and any finish.
26. Shore Birds in the Round: Any species. Any size any finish.
27. Ducks in the Round: Any species. Any size and any finish.
28. Pyrography-Human: Wood burning on a flat surface. Any finish.
29. Pyrography-Animal/Wildlife: Wood burning on a flat surface. Any finish.
30. Pyrography-Architectural/Scenic: Wood burning on a flat surface. Any finish.
31. Pyrography-Other (Excluding Categories #28, #29, #30): Wood burning is the primary art work. Any finish.
32. Chip Carving: Any subject. Any size, any finish.
33. Caricature-Single Human: Carving must be in the round and exaggerate or distort physical features, movement and/or expressions for a humorous effect. Any size, any finish.
34. Caricatures - Human in a Scene: Carving must be in the round and exaggerate or distort physical features, movement and/or expressions for a humorous effect. To qualify as a scene, a portion of the scene, not including the base, must be detached from the human figures(s). Any size, any finish.
35. Caricature Animal, Bird or Fish: Carving must exaggerate or distort physical feature, movement and/or expressions for a humorous effect. Can be in the round or relief. Any size, any finish.
36. Caricature Bust: Single figure caricature bust carved in the round or carved in relief. The carving must exaggerate or distort physical features, movement and/or expressions for a humorous effect. Any size, any finish.
37. Religious: Any religious carving. Any size, any finish.
38. Whittling-Novelties-Toys: Must be carved or whittled with only a knife. No sanding permitted. Any size, any finish.
39. Spoons: Any size, any finish.
40. Miniature: A carving that will fit inside a
2”x 2” cube. Any subject, any finish.
41. Intarsia: Any subject. Any size, any finish.
42. Cottonwood Bark-Human: Realistic or caricature. Any size, any finish.
43. Cottonwood Bark Carving-Animal: Realistic or caricature. Any size, any finish.
44. Cottonwood Bark Carving-Other: Anything not human or animal such as houses, lighthouses, etc. Any size, any finish.
45. Other Wood: Includes driftwood, cypress knees, fence posts, logs, etc. Any size, any finish.
46. Jewelry: Must be made of wood (minimal non-wood embellishments). Any style, any finish.
47. Mixed Media: Carving predominately of wood, with non-wood embellishments (glass, metal, etc.). Any style, any finish.
48. Miscellaneous: Any woodcarving that will not fit into categories #5-#47.