Decoy Artist
I come from a family of some really artsy bastards. Maybe I should apologize for calling my grandmother a bastard - but damnit she knew her shit. She was a fourth grade teacher who used art to enhance all areas of her curriculum. Once retired she remained involved with the school district, taught an art appreciation class, and brought students from districts all around the Albany, New York area to The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown Massachusetts, where she was a dosin; and did so until she was in her nineties. The woman commanded respect and with her legacy in mind I make my art. I am not a model builder - I am an artist. I do not count feathers nor do I measure. I sketch, I draw, I sculpt and I make unique decoys that feel right to me. The process starts with harvesting white cedar, many of which come from my property. Those cedar logs are then milled into sizes based on what the log will allow, which in turn dictates which birds will be sculpted from the wood when the stick is dry enough to carve. Sketches come from observation of nature. Sure the internet is a pretty handy tool but knowledge comes from doing and to do this you have to be in nature, not in front of a damn screen. Little thumb nail sketches of a moment in time become the basis for my art. The drawing I create is transferred to a block of cedar and cut on the bandsaw, first from a birds eye view and then the profile - releasing the body of the bird from a shoe boxed sized piece of cedar. The same process is done with the head in most instances and then the carving begins. I use knives, gouges, rasps, power tools - whatever will help me add life to a once square piece of wood. Once shaped I run the body through the bandsaw once again and hollow the body of the bird, depending on the size the head I will often hollow the head as well. Hollowing the bird obviously makes is lighter and improves its floatation, but it also removes stress from inside the wood and there is less opportunity for the bird to check or crack. Sealing the inside of the body with epoxy, and now adhering all three pieces of wood, the two pieces of the body and the head, my bird now is given life. Onto the final carve: the glass eyes set in with a two part epoxy putty, and the best part… attitude. Once I’ve created a bird that appears to have an attitude or personality it’s time for paint. The painting is part of the process that I really love, BUT I really hate it too. I like to paint in washes and layers and I easily get frustrated if I don’t feel I’m progressing adequately … normally however I just need to trust the process. That’s with most things I guess… your hard work pays off. Trust the damn process.
