About the Artist, Paul Schonhart


Paul, a retired college administrator, started carving in 1990. His many years in the duck blinds provided him with the incentive to start carving. Desire and carving skill were mutually exclusive so Paul enrolled in a few adult education carving classes at a local high school. There he learned the bsics and has improved over the years to a point where a few commissioned pieces are done each year as well as sales at decoy and craft shows.


Paul Carving

An avid hunter and fisherman, Paul especially enjoys upland bird hunting with this Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Midwestern hunting trips each fall have been part of Paul's travels for many years. His goal is to hunt every species of North American upland bird. He is well on his way to meet this goal with trips to Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, and the Dakotas. Summer finds Paul fishing the Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario) as well as yearly trips to Canadian fisheries in Ontario and Manitoba.


Paul with Dogs

It is important to preserve and continue the conservation measures embraced by the many sportsmen and hunting organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, The National Wild Turkey Federation and the National Rifle Association. Membership in these organizations is critical if we want to continue our hunting tradition. It is especially important to involve young boys and girls in these clubs. To that end, Paul works with Ducks Unlimited on Green Wing projects.


King Decoys Sign

Paul also has a small collection of antique working decoys. Some are from unknown carvers; but like most collectors of art "if I like the piece or if it has some unusual quality, I buy it." Paul specializes in collecting working decoys from Nova Scotia and Maritime Canada. The Nova Scotia connection stems from Paul's collegiate days at St. Francis Xavier University where he received his bachelor's degree. While at St. F.X., Paul played tight end on their 1966 National Championship football team and was named to the All Canadian Team in 1964.


Wooden Duck