Ducks of Different Feathers

SHOVELER

COMMON GOLDEN EYE (Drake ~ Preening)

RED HEAD          

Two Very Different Owls

The Great Horned Owl ~ half scale

While I was working on this Great Horned Owl, my grandchildren each secretly thought I was creating this wood carving for them. Harry Potter was all the rage and owls were very much at the forefront of their minds. So, I decided to carve a smaller owl; in fact, two smaller owls -- one for each family. I naively thought that carving the feet right out of the original block of wood would "save me time." Boy was I wrong! Getting into the back of the block perch to carve the underside proved quite the feat! And, I might add, a smaller scale carving does not necessarily equate with reduced hours. The work was well worth it, though. To this day, they still love and appreciate the carvings. This is the owl before it was painted.

Screech Owl ~ Unpainted

A Very Dramatic Duck

Female & Male Wood Ducks

Wood Duck Pair

Pintail Ducks

A pair of Northern Pintail Ducks before painting

The finished piece

From Inception to Completion

Every project starts with a pattern and a solid block of wood. The block of wood shown above has already been honed into the relative shape of the bird. A caliper is used to measure the bird's dimensions as the shape is further and further refined. Once the final shape is achieved, the feathers have to be created. There are five steps in creating the feathers:
1) Designing / laying out the feather patterns
2) Creating the relief (i.e. the raised elements)
3) Refinement
4) Stoning (creating the individual feather lines)
5) Burning (a burning tool is used to further articulate the feathers)

This is what the feathering detail looks like after burning.

At this point the carving is complete. The next process -- an entire art form in itself  -- involves painting the bird. First, a sealer is applied to the carving. Then a primer coat called gesso is used. Gesso coats can also be applied in tints to serve as a foundation for some of the top coat colors. Painting is just as challenging as carving as there is never a true consensus on the color of a duck and because subtle shadings are so important in creating a final product that looks authentic.

Here is the final product some 200 hours later. A full scale Pileated Woodpecker.