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I am a specialist bird carver who simply cannot bring myself to specialise in any species, style or finish. I have had no formal art training - I just like creating, making and messing with paints and finishes. The starting point was a course 25 years ago carving and painting a mallard duck which my husband sold the next day to an admirer. So, I made another one ……..and so on. For the next few years, after a course in the USA, I specialised in lifelike birds where every feather is intricately and accurately detailed. The birds sing, preen and display their particular colours and characteristics. I won some great commissions such as a Woodcock for the Queen on her Golden Wedding Anniversary, and a life-size Eagle Owl for the foyer of the Royal Exchange in the City. However, in recent years I have carved more stylised shapes based on my original training in decoy shapes of the eastern sea board of the USA. One fun commission was a pair of Barn Owls for a prize winning wildlife garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. I experiment with different woods, finishes and paints. Shorebirds look as old as washed-up seashore planks, and ducks show off the interesting colours and grain of different woods. Recent pieces have featured marbled and bronzing effects, crackle-glazing and different types of staining. Swans, for example, can be stippled or crackle-glazed. Favourite carvings are large groups of shorebirds - runners, sentinels and feeders set onto driftwood. I try to create situations or happenings with groups of birds, and also gain inspiration from collective nouns, eg. an orchestra of Avocets; a party of Plovers; a fling of Dotterel. The birds may be stylised but I create a fairly accurate portrait of the species. Groups of Sanderlings will be running in and out of the waves in groups; Boobies will be waving their blue feet. In recent years I have carved several shoals of fish such as mackerel and herring, and now have fun with the shapes and colours of tropical fish. Another interest is sculpting large shells or fish in stone. The first question that people always ask is how long do carvings take. I can only explain that it is not the carving that takes the time but the finishing. Once shaped, the pine is heavily burned and rubbed down to give the effect of ancient driftwood. Japan paints soak directly into the untreated wood and are then rubbed down to look aged. Legs have to be soldered, and arms like an octopus are needed to arrange groups on driftwood bases. Over the years I have taught many people to carve and paint decoy-style birds, and I love watching them proudly heading home holding their completed work after learning traditional techniques. Please look at the page on courses to see what we achieve. |
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