There are best of show awards for all skill levels combined for the three categories.
This competition is open to carvers of all skill levels. Your carving will first compete in your skill level and then all eligible entries in the show will be judged together for these awards.
Get a head start for the 2024 show, the Feature Species will be:-
Ribbons will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in eac Category, and medallions for Best of Division. Large rossettes and cash are awarded for Best of Show by skill level for the four main Sections of the Show: Wildfowl, Fish & Wildlife, Traditional Carving and Woodworking.
The brochure provides more details on awards and category definitions
Print/View the Brochure - Print/View
A condition of entry in the Cocktail Class is that your entry will be sold in the auction. The carver will receive 50% of the winning bid.
Division A: | Realistic Lifesize Waterbirds |
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Category 1: | Marsh Ducks |
Category 2: | Diving Ducks |
Category 3: | Geese & Swans |
Category 4: | Seabirds, Shorebirds, other |
Division B: | Realistic Lifesize Landbirds |
Category 5: | Small Songbirds |
Category 6: | Medium Songbirds |
Category 7 | Large Songbirds |
Category 8 | Upland Gamebirds |
Category 9 | Raptors |
Category 10 | Woodpeckers & Others |
Division C: | Realistic Miniature Birds |
Category 11 | Waterbirds |
Category 12 | Landbirds |
Division D: | Hunting Decoys (Floating) |
Category 13 | Marsh Ducks |
Category 14 | Diving Ducks |
Category 15 | Geese, Swans & Confidence |
Division E: | Contemp. Decoys (non-floating) |
Category 16 | Marsh & Diving Ducks |
Category 17 | Geese, Swans & Confidence |
Category 18 | Shorebirds |
Division F: | Antique-style Decoys |
Category 19 | Ducks |
Category 20 | Geese & Confidence |
Category 21 | Shorebirds |
Division G: | Decorative Lifesize Fish |
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Category 22 | Trout, Salmon & Char |
Category 23 | Other Freshwater Fish |
Category 24 | Saltwater Fish |
Division H: | Mounts / Miniatures / Interpretive |
Category 25 | Wall Mounts |
Category 26 | Decorative Miniatures |
Category 27 | Interpretive / Stylized |
Division I: | Realistic Wildlife |
Category 28 | Land Mammals |
Category 29 | Water Mammals |
Category 30 | Reptiles, Amphibians, Others |
Division J: | Interpretive/Stylized Wildlife |
Category 31 | Natural Finish |
Category 32 | Woodburned or Painted |
Division K: | Humans & Animals |
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Category 33 | Caricatures |
Category 34 | Realistic Humans |
Category 35 | Domestic Animals |
Category 36 | Myth and Fantasy |
Division L: | Natural Materials & Misc. |
Category 37 | Canes, Walking Sticks |
Category 38 | Driftwood Creations |
Category 39 | Bark Carving |
Category 40 | Botanical |
Category 41 | Miscellaneous |
Division M: | Relief & Chip |
Category 42 | Relief Carving |
Category 43 | Chip Carving |
Division N: | Pacific Coast Native-Style |
Category 44 | Masks, Rattles, Totems, Bowls |
Category 45 | Paddles, Plaques, Boxes |
Division O: | |
Category 46 | Stone |
Category 47 | Bone, Antler |
Division P: | Wood Turning |
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Category 48 | Bowls & Platters |
Category 49 | Vases, Hollow-Forms |
Category 50 | Turned Boxes |
Category 51 | Multi-part Assemblies |
Category 52 | Pens, Lamps, Other Spindles |
Category 53 | Segmented Turnings |
Division Q: | Woodworking - Decorative |
Category 54 | Pyrography |
Category 55 | Marquetry & Intarsia |
Category 56 | Scroll Saw |
Division R: | Woodworking - Functional |
Category 57 | Boxes |
Category 58 | Toys |
Category 59 | Household Items |
Category 60 | Furniture |
Division S: | Musical Instruments |
Category 61 | Stringed |
Category 62 | Percussion |
Category 63 | Woodwind |
Division T: | Cocktail Carvings |
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Category 64 | Land ( All terrestrial creatures) |
Category 65 | Water ( aquatic/semi aquatic creatures) |
Category 66 | Air (All creatures that fly) |
Division U: | Special |
Category 67 | Carvers' Challenge |
Division Y: | Youth |
Category 68 | Age 11 and under |
Category 69 | Age 11 to 14 |
Category 70 | Age 15 to 18 |
Species categories follow the Pacific Northwest Carvers (PNC) association listings except where some categories have been combined.
Nelson's
Grasshopper
Brewer's
Your Carving may be realistic lifesize (Div. B, Cat. 5 Small Songbirds), miniature (Div. C, Cat. 12 Landbirds),
interpretive/stylized (Div. G), relief or other flat style (Div. K), or other media such as stone or bone (Div. O),
but NOT cocktail size (Div. T).
Carvings will first compete by category with all other entries, and then all eligible entries will be judged for
these awards by skill level. $50 + Rossette each for Novice, Interrmediate, Advanced & Expert.
Category 13. Marsh Ducks
Category 14. Diving Ducks
Category 15. Geese, Swans & Confidence
The Best Hunting Decoy will be awarded $300, an individual trophy and their name will be added to a permanent plaque, in Honour of Bob Humphreys. Bob was a long time member of the Nanaimo Fish and Game Club and an avid decoy carver.
This is a purchase award and the Nanaimo Fish and Game Club will raffle the winning carving to raise funds for their work.
This Division will honour the original working decoy, hand carved from wood and designed to be hunted over.
Decoys must be made of wood, and hand crafted by the carver. Construction must be sturdy and able to withstand the wear and tear of hunting conditions.
Decoys will be judged on simplicity, practicality and durability. Final selection will be done from a distance, weather permitting.
No detailed or fragile bills, necks, wing tips or tails. No raised primaries, no carved details in bills. Mandible separation will be permitted, nostril definition is allowed. Detail on the underside of the bill is discouraged.
Decoys must be painted in traditional hunting decoy style. The carver should be aware that a spread of 36 handmade decoys were common and while brushing, ragging, stippling, combing, scratching, and blending is allowed, excess use of these methods will be adversely judged. Texturing, burning, airbrushing, inserts, fragile parts, and individually carved feathers will not be permitted.
No feather definition other than outline will be allowed, carved or painted.
Paint, tack and glass eyes are permitted.
Decoys must have an anchor line attachment (lines and anchors not needed).
Painting must withstand an extended time period in the water and not deteriorate. Any decoy that checks, splits, takes on water, or looses paint when floated will be disqualified.
Decoys must self-right when submerged bottom up and released. Geese and swans must self-right from the sides.
The winning carving will then be used for the following years Raffle prize. This is an "Open" class so carvers of all skill levels will be judged in a single competition.
For 2023 the chosen subject is the Best Smoothie Brant (Div. E, Non-floating).
see here... for more details.
The Woodturning Division (Div. P) has been incorporated into the Woodworking Competition. The division has also been split into six different categories which allow better grouping than the old; Functional and Decorative.
There is no limit to the number of entries by each turner.
** Selling is not a requirement of competing.
It will be up to each turner to decide which category their entry best fits. However, during judging, if the judges feel your entry is a better fit for a different Category, they will have the permission of the Show Chair to move it and re-register it in the other Category.
The Show has been split into four sections with a best-of-show awarded in each section.
- Wildfowl (all wild birds)
- Fish & Wildlife (all non-birds)
- Traditional Carving (formerly "non-wildlife")
- Woodworking (woodturning, musical instruments and other woodworking items).
The Nanaimo Fish and Game Club are offering a $300 purchase award for the best Traditional Hunting Decoy (Div D). The winning carving will be used by the Nanaimo Fish & Game club as a fund raiser to help with there conservation activities. For more info read more...
This is an ongoing special award category where we'll choose a carving subject htat has a challenging aspect to it. We started in 2018 with a 'Mobius', 2019 'Leaves'. The challenge for 2023 is to Carve a single Feather of any species. It can be on its own or displayed on a simple base. Entries will compete in a special "Open" category.
Cooped up at home in self-isolation? Had your wings clipped? Here’s a special award made for you! Entries must have been started after the pandemic announcement March 11, 2020. The carving can be any single Life-size songbird from Div. B, Cats 5, 6 or 7 (Sm, Med, Lg). See the species lists for the passerines eligible. Your carving will first compete in its normal skill level, division and category; then all eligible entries will be judged for this award. Note: this is not a “purchase award” (you keep your bird and the cash).
Sponsored by Dieter and Joan Golze
Art Show Entry Form - Print/View
Complete the form and mail or email to the address at top of the entry form.
Photos of last years winners can be seen here....
A traditional paper entry form, for the Carving Show, can be provided by bill.beese@gmail.com
Sales Table Entry Form - Print/View
This form is for anyone who would like to have their work for sale at the show (Not in the competition).
The competitions are open to carvers and other woodworkers of all skill levels. All entries must be entirely the work of the person(s) entering. If the entry is by more than one person all names must be on the entry form. Your entry must have been completed within the LAST 5 YEARS, and not competed in the “Brant” show before. You may no longer enter the SAME carving a second year in a row in another skill level. There is no limit on the total number of entries an individual may enter in the show, or in any category.
All entries must be made of wood (excluding Division O "Other Media"), with the exception of eyes, feet, habitat, hardware or supports which may be made of other materials. Wood includes bark, nuts and laminated products. For Advanced and Expert wildfowl carvings, you must fabricate the wildfowl feet. Habitat materials other than wood may be included in the presentation of a carving, provided that the materials used are appropriate and are used in a complimentary manner. For wildfowl, fish and other wildlife the carver should fabricate all habitat components. In Advanced and Expert skill levels, judges may deduct for the use of “found” materials (such as real branches, driftwood, pebbles/rocks). Bases used for support but not part of the habitat can be made by someone other than the carver.
Entries may not be removed until Sunday at 4:00 PM.
Judges will consider the following criteria in the judging process. All five criteria are important, and they overlap and build upon each other. The most successful carvings will succeed in all five areas.
Criteria adapted from the Ward World Championship.
The judges’ determination is final and not subject to review. Judging and competition standards of the Pacific Northwest Carvers Association are followed unless specified otherwise. The show officials may change an entry to a more appropriate skill level or category or may disqualify an entry for violation of the competition rules.