Sad to report that in early April 2014 the USA marquetry movement lost one of its most stalwart members Hosie Main. Hosie will be terribly missed by all who knew him.

Here is a little history of Hosie's marquetry success written by his son Tom:

"Hosie won “Best of Show” on the “Oregon Barn” at the International Creative Marquetry Show in Ipswich, England on October 13-18, 1986.  He also won “Honorable Mention” for his “Even The Mice Are Poorly” at the same show.  Hosie said, “Blue bugwood probably had a lot to do with why I walked away with the prize at Ipswitch.” 

Blue bugwood is a stain created by the pine beetle in the local Ponderosa Pine which makes a wonderfully blue mottled patina and makes great skies for the pictures.   These is also a brown bugwood which Hosie used for the foregrounds. 

Hosie made his own veneer using wood from local sawmills. Hosie started making marquetry pictures in 1972 after crafting a viola which he played in the Rapid City Symphony. 

His avocation with woodworking started at an early age 4 when he kept taking the hammer from his father, a Methodist minister, who was constructing a new church in Pipestone, Minnesota so he got his own hammer.

Hosie grew up in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin as the ministry moved around every few years at that time.

He became an accomplished musician and had his own dance band and taught orchestra.  In WWII he was in D-Day plus one at Utah Beach in Normandy and served out the remainder of the war at Litchfield.  Returning from the war he taught orchestra in Boise, Idaho and Rapid City, South Dakota until he retired in 1975.   

The next 39 years he crafted marquetry pictures sold at the gift shop at Mt. Rushmore and went fishing with his son, Tom, in his spare time.  In fact, one of his pictures sold at Mt. Rushmore the day before he passed away.   He won awards for his marquetry in Colorado, Canada, New York and Minnesota besides England.  He also taught Tom his craft."