Rev.
Hunter viewed his carving as a sideline to his true work in the church.
After entering the ministry in 1938, he eventually became senior pastor
of the True Light Baptist Church in Dallas, where he remained for the
last 31 years of his life. He continued to preach and to carve regularly
into his nineties. Using tree branches and scraps of lumber, Rev. Hunter created his colorful sculptures with a knife and saw, hammer and nails, glue, paint, and glitter, burning final details into the wood with an ice pick heated over a gas flame. Rev. Hunter’s carvings range in subject from painted figurative sculptures of gunfighters, couples, and walking men, to patriotic figures, eagles, and tigers. Angels and occasional depictions of biblical characters reflect his religious background. His work is included in the African American Museum in Dallas.
