David Wirth's auction sculpture this year will be a dorado leaping

Last year the famed marine hardwood and bronze sculptor created another beautiful, original sculpture for Cabo, by Mike Menas, captain the Bottom Line team after he bid $7,500 for it in the charity auction at the awards dinner

A CLOSE-UP look at the bronze piece.

Hardwood sculptor David Wirth is back for a fifth year as the official artist of the 2009 Tuna Jackpot and will add a few new wrinkles to his donations of art and winners trophies.

He will be creating a 21-inch hardwood sculpture of a leaping dorado chasing baitfish flying out of the water. Dorado and wahoo are also target species in the Tuna Jackpot, and are backup species for the tuna optionals.

He is also creating four beautiful Hawaain sportfishing hook pendants in bronze for the winners in four different styles the team members can choose.

Last year David Wirth's tuna bronze raised $7,500 for a special children's facility in Cabo.

The piece was auctioned off by Director Pat McDonell and went to Mike Menas in a spirited bidding war between Menas who is owner and team captain of the Bottom Line that won $271,000, and Judy Ostberg, a collector of David Wirth art. The beneficiary of the bidding war was, of course, the charity.

ARTIST DAVID WIRTH is really "burning up" these new patina colors such as "Pele's Fire" and "Lava." These colored patinas are his vision of the creation of the Hawaiian Islands "by way of molten lava, thus transforming my creations in Molten Bronze and Fiery colored patinas. He recently completed his original piece for the charity auction at the Cabo Tuna Jackpot awards dinner and charity auction Saturday night, Nov. 8.

Ehrenberg brought Nuevo Creation to the attention of the awards dinner crowd at Puerto Paraiso mall. It was touching moment before the auction as the crowd was introduced to Nievo Creacion's Roberto Osuna. Tracy, Osuna and several boys went up on stage and Tracy Ehrenberg let him explain the charity as she translated into English.

Osuna and his wife have dedicated their lives into helping young boys who have become addicted to drugs and alcohol, taking them off the streets and into their home. Currently they provide 18 youngsters with a sober living environment. One young man described how Roberto had saved him from a life of drugs that began at 7 years old and thanked God for the change in his life.

Menas was not to be deterred in the auction and when Ostberg stopped at $7,000, he won with a bid of $7,400 and told McDonell to round it up to $7,500. While the auction took place, the youngsters "passed the hat" in the crowd and cash donations added another $3,700 to the total for Nuevo Creation.

MEET DAVID A. WIRTH, MARINE WILDLIFE ARTIST

HIS ARTISTIC JOURNEY CONTINUES...

Born in the northern California seaside town of Carmel, 2009 Tuna Jackpot Featured Artist David Wirth quickly grew to love the ocean and its creatures. His father took him fishing in Monterey Bay when he could barely hold a rod and reel. After relocating to Minnesota, Wirth developed his freshwater angling skills in the region's numerous lakes. With Aspen as his home base, he later mastered his fly fishing techniques in the streams of Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

Having an exceptional talent for art at an early age, Wirth developed a love for sculpting in wood. Today, Wirth has two passions: outdoor adventures and working with wood. It wasn't until 1994 that he discovered a way to combine both his loves by creating in his sculpting the images he sees of fish leaping from the water, twisting in the air, and then plunging back into the waves.

AWARDED to the winning team will be four bronze pendants in various patinas for the team members to choose from. They retail for $300 each.

Wirth's first sculpture was made with a simple fillet knife and a scrap of wood found in his garage. This first sculpture was the result of Wirth's undying love for the ocean and his desire to be connected to the sport which has given him so much pleasure and inspiration. Through sculpture, Wirth at last has found a way to portray the beauty and power that be has experienced in his years on the water.

Much has changed since that first piece of wood was carved; Wirth recently moved his home base to South Florida while he continues to sculpt in his studios in Maui and the Florida Keys. His two children are still based in Southern California where Wirth spends part of each year.

He brought much of his beloved "California" wood with him to South Florida so he continues to sculpt California orange, oak, olive and black walnut. While in his studio in Maui, his "Brahda's keep him supplied with beautiful "Native Hawaiian" hard woods such as koa, mango, macadamia nut, Cook pine, and monkey pod, just to name a few.

With home being Florida, Wirth has begun his journey of sculpting "Native Florida" hardwoods such as Cuban mahogany, Jamaican dogwood, black ironwood, along with plenty of citrus.

"The wood that I find," as Wirth tells it, 'has the most incredible grain, color, and patterning you can imagine. Selection of the tree is a crucial step. The wood must portray motion. The choice (wood) all but dictates the type of fish and action depicted in my sculpture."

Wirth starts by using a chain saw to rough-out the sculpture and coax the fish out of the wood utilizing grain-lines and color patterns within the wood. When this step is finished, Wirth is within a quarter-inch of the finished piece. Extensive carving, sanding, and detailing make up the majority of Wirth's projects. Two years after he began carving, his sculptures were winning awards at fine art and wildlife shows in California.

NUEVO CREACION provides for young Cabo boys who were strung out on drugs and alcohol and stuck on the streets of the city. The money raised during the tournament will go to building a permanent home for the facility. MICHAEL MENAS, shown here with Tracy Ehrenberg, far right, and Roberto Osuna and one of the boys from the Cabo facility. Menas bid a record $7500 for this David Wirth bronze.

Going to the next level, Wirth is casting bronze from his wood originals. These limited edition bronzes are "Way over the top," he says. Wirth is using a wet finish look with jeweltone patinas along with fantastic animation. These bronze sculptures are absolutely cutting edge. With the success of the bronzes, he was featured on HGTV (Home and Garden Channel) with Carol Duvall and the Hawaiian Bill Fish Tournament at Kona, HI. "Familiar Waters" fly fishing show, Wirth was a guest artist doing helicopter fishing in British Columbia, Canada and hosted his own show "Wildlife Art Gallery" on The Outdoor Channel's new HDTV series.

Wirth works alone on three to six pieces at one time in his studios in South Florida and Maui. Wirth does commissioned sculptures of life-like game fish and other marine life. Each sculpture, once commissioned, takes one to six months to complete.

Wirth's Sculptures can found on display and for sale at the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) World Fishing Center/Fishing Hall of fame and Museum in Dania, Florida as well as The Keys To Life Studio of Art MM 84.7 Islamorada, FL, as well as the Rain Barrel artist Village, the Redbone Gallery, and Halliday's Treasure Gallery, all in Islamorada.

In Maui, you will find Wirth's sculpture in the Rick Steininger Gallery as well as The Whaler's Locker, both in Lahina. The IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum chose Wirth as the 2006 Featured Artist. David also supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Florida and California, IGFA's Junior angler and Conservation programs, Cabo charities through the Tuna Jackpot Tournament and many other "Take A Kid Fishing" programs.

You can see more about David Wirth and his artwork at www.davidwirth.com; for more details on the Tuna Jackpot, see this issue of WON, or goto www.loscabostunajackpot.com.

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