About Bernice

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Bernice was born and raised in Carroll County, where she attended public school and graduated from Westminster High School in 1958.  After high school, she attended the Church Home and Hospital School of Nursing, where she trained as a nurse and became an instructor following her graduation.  She eventually moved to Pittsburg Pennsylvania, where she took evening painting and drawing classes at the Carnegie Institute, laying the foundation for her future artistic pursuits. After returning to Carroll County, she worked as a registered nurse at the Carroll County Health Department in Westminster, Maryland, for more than two decades, focusing on community outreach and AIDS education. Alongside her professional career, Bernice embraced the roles of wife, mother, and homemaker.

Throughout her life, Bernice nurtured a deep love for nature and art, inspiring her to observe the natural world closely—especially birds and their habitats—and to express this admiration artistically.  Her passion for wildlife carving began in 1982 after she encountered a beautifully carved green-winged teal duck at a craft show in Westminster. Captivated by the lifelike sculpture, she hoped to receive one as a gift, but instead found a box under the Christmas tree containing a piece of wood, a knife, reference materials, and a note encouraging her to carve the duck herself.  Bernice soon found joy in shaping the wood, marking the start of a lifelong dedication to wildlife carving.

Over the course of her artistic career, Bernice won more than 200 awards in local, national, and international carving shows and competitions, a testament to her skill and dedication. She was also regularly featured in local media and shared her expertise through a series of instructional videos on public television, helping to promote and preserve the art of wildlife carving.

In addition to creating her own carvings, Bernice spent over four decades teaching carving techniques to thousands of students, bringing artistic fulfillment and joy to many who had never before held a carving knife. For her, wildlife carving was more than a hobby—it was a profound and enduring passion that inspired her throughout her life. 

Bernice’s legacy endures through the students she taught, the lives she touched and the beautiful works she created, celebrating the natural world she deeply cherished.