Rick Jensen has shaped the carving world as we know it as he is widely held as most responsible for the popularization of cottonwood bark carving in the United States. He is author of the book: "Illustrated Guide to Carving Tree bark" and featured contributor to multiple books including, "Carving Found Wood", "Carving a Niche in Northern Minnesota", and "A hand carved Christmas". In 2014 he was awarded Woodcarving Illustrated’s woodcarver of the year as his "whimsical home carvings" along with his books have infiltrated the world of carving.