Recent content by John Lawrence

I don't have a lot to show to start off the thread this month. However I do have some news. First though is what is on my workbench currently. These are a pair of miniature Labrador Ducks going to the Labrador guy in Baltimore as soon as I finish them. They are eight inches long. One will be...

My pleasure Dave. I like the look of your Mallard also.

Dave, First let me say this, I've seen examples of your work. I'll just leave it at that. Second, I've heard from quite a few of the people who you've insulted privately, you've severely damaged yourself. Apparently you are the only person who doesn't realize how many people you've...

Dave, I guess what confuses me is that I'm not really sure what you think you are going accomplish with your thread. I just reread your original post and you basically slammed the whole contest. It reads like you've called out the judges, Luke and Joe, and the whole ODCCA for that matter...

Tim, Almost every show now uses the replacement rule. The pool contest at Westlake opperated under the winners only concept in the past. They just conformed to what is being done just about everywhere else. I think a lot of the confusion was a result of people not reading the 2012 rules.

Thanks Chris. Wait till next year. I have a couple of pieces of white pine ready to go that is going to become a sleeping brant over the summer. Very dark and very smokey. I've been playing with sketches all morning.

Dave, I guess that it all comes down to perspective. I might have some information that you might not have had when you wrote your post that might help you. Just to start this I didn't enter any decoys either I just watched and enjoyed my friends victories or commiserated with them in the...

And this is my last post for tonight. One of my themes today has been the continuous giving back of our decoy community. Willy and the Duck Blind sponsors the Youth Wildfowlers awards. Here is Willy presenting the winner with his ribbon and plaque. Do you think this young fellow will remember...

I've been to decoy shows all over this country and Westlake is the only place where the kids are involved at every turn. The tradition of having kids swim in the pool and herd the decoys goes back a long time. My son swam in the pool with the birds when he was younger as did many of our kids I...

At the same time the Wildfowler singles are being entered and organized. . . . All of the categories had increased entries over the past few years but to me it was the most noticeable in the pool categories. I didn't catch the youth numbers but I'm pretty sure I heard the...

Sunday morning at Westlake starts early with the registration for the famous pool contests. The volunteers get the six bird rigs strung and into the water first. . More rigs waiting their turn in the pool. . . . .

When I went back to Room 158 after the Saturday night Auction an old friend Vince Pagliori was there. The first thing he said to me was "Are you judging tomorrow?" and I told him no because I had judged on Saturday morning. He then said "Good then I can show you this". This was a canvas over...

On Saturday afternoon Dr. Jeff Cross, my good friend conducted a seminar on Antique Erie Pennsylvania decoys centered on the Buchner clan. I thought that the seminar was very well attended. . Here is Jeff holding the first Buchner decoy that he discovered in the early 90's in Northwestern...

The decoy painting contest takes place by the pool on Saturday. Contestants are given a pre-carved blank and off they go. This year's bird was a wood duck, either drake or hen. . . This is Rob Capriola from California a very well known decoy maker painting a hen wood duck. Rob did the...

Here are a few shots of some additional vendors that set up in the Ballroom area. A really great aspect of Westlake is that you can come there and get everything you need to make a decoy all in one place. By my count there were at least five wood dealers also. . . . .