The Bird Carver

I have a number of people to ask me,”How do you make the pieces look so real?”

Frankly, sometimes, I am just as amazed as they are when I finish a piece. I have described what I do as getting a piece of wood and removing everything that does not look like a bird. Fortunately what I remove today is a lot closer to what think a bird really is.

I use either tupelo wood or bass wood. I begin with a clay model of my piece and allow that to define what I am going to do. The reason that I do a clay model first is because it is easier to add and remove clay than wood. If you mess up with clay, just put some back on. If you mess up with wood, well you have just created an expensive log for your fireplace. From the clay, I then create a pattern for my carving.

When carving, I prefer to use only a knife. Sometimes I have to use a grinder but I will rely upon a simple knife for as long as I can or chisels. Why? Because it is possible to “hog” off too much wood with the high powered grinders and then once again you have a really expensive log for your fire place. With a knife, you can remove small pieces and then you can stop and look at your piece as you go, thus creating a beautiful sculpture.

After carving, I burn great detail into my pieces. Notice the carved and burned tail of a Coopers Hawk that is currently in progress. After the burning, I then paint them with oils. Why oils? Because acrylics at their heart are plastic and appear to be plastic on the bird. Oils on the other hand are easier to blend and look softer.

Below is the finished pintail drake that was painted with oils along a close up of the speculum area(the real colorful part of a ducks wing).