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Born in College Park,
Maryland, Joni Hoffman didn’t start out to be a wood carver, but from an
early age she found herself drawn to nature and the arts. Taking the
advice of well-meaning family, Joni attended the Washington D.C. Business
School and became a certified legal secretary. The career choice was less
than satisfying and in her late 20s, she joined the United States Marine
Corps. For three years she worked as an Avionics Technician in an OV-10
Marine Squadron where she met her husband, Mike Hoffman.
After a debilitating
injury, she left the military and began attending California State
University, San Marcos. She graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Accounting.
Along the way, she never gave up her love of art and continued to create
drawings, etchings, and paintings, garnering numerous awards for her work
along the way.
In 1998, Joni attended
the Core Sound Decoy Festival in Harkers Island, NC. She became
fascinated with the many styles and techniques used to transform wood into
water birds. At the urging of her husband of 20 years, she picked up a
knife and a block of wood and hasn’t put them down since. Joni’s carvings
can now be found in private collections throughout the Eastern U.S. Her
many awards include First Place in Shore Birds and Third Best in Show at
the East Carolina Wildlife Festival for her portrayal of a life size
Avocet.
 As Joni continues to
stretch her carving boundaries, her knife has lent its edge to creatures
of a more whimsical nature--a tipsy Pelican, an imperfect heart, a wintry
snowman, as well as usual duck decoys, herons, and egrets.
She invites you to
commission your favorite creature, beautifully rendered in wood, and
painted with acrylics, an acquisition you will not regret. You
can see Joni’s work
at the Cedar Keyhole Artist Co-op or contact her by
e-mail.
Click on images below to enlarge. |
