Kathy Wise has been sculpting dogs and animals professionally for more than 25 years. Much of her time is now spent in the woodshop and art studio working on new and exciting designs for intarsia artists to cut and enjoy. Kathy is a frequent contributor to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts.

Although Kathy Wise was a city girl for most of her growing up years, she has always had a strong love for animals. When she was a teenager, her family moved to a rural area in the thumb area of Michigan. 

Kathy began selling her one-of-a-kind animal sculptures at art fairs and shows. Soon she was supplying over 70 stores nationwide. In 1983, Gene Freedman (then president of Enesco Corporation) first saw Kathy’s work in a Seattle gift shop. This man, who launched Precious Moments, saw
potential in Kathy’s art and contacted her to start the first of her many lines in the giftware industry. She has gone on to design animal figures and giftware for many other companies, including Simson, Westland, United Design, and Encore Group. Over the years, Kathy has designed and
sculpted over one thousand different items in over forty lines that have been sold worldwide. 

Kathy designed and created her first intarsia piece of intarsia in 2004.  She first began designing intarsia patterns for her father-in-law, Phil MacDonald. When his customers would ask for a
Intarsia Woodworking for Beginners. She started
to market the patterns and found intarsia artists loved her designs. With Kathy’s knowledge
and background in sculpting dogs, each pattern has a unique personality that is not found in any other intarsia patterns available in the marketplace.