What's on your work bench? - March 2024

[MLBob Furia]

March has brought up & down weather to our area. Freezing temps one day / highs in the 60's the next. This week lots of overcast skies and rain. A good time to have some decoys to paint and to while away some hours in the studio.
Started in on spatter-painting for a pair of black ducks. Began with the heads because of the spatter. Doing feather groupings now.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Work on the upstairs living space at the workshop continues. My Gov lead at the office worked construction to get through engineering school. He is teaching me modern shower waterproofing.

 

[Rick Pierce]

Pintail finished for a fundraising auction this past weekend.

 

[Phil Eager]

Nice bird

 

[TimJ]

I've been working on some paintings recently that I can't show yet on the major platforms. I'll show one here since the odds of anyone involved seeing it here are astronomically low.
This is Josie. She has had a tough life with many injuries but I understand she is still always happy. 10x10 acrylics on canvas.


A few days ago I need a palate cleanser from working on dogs. I like painting dogs but fish are what I like the most. A quick sketch and some loose painting (for me) on an old canvas. 16x20 angry Bluegill. "Bull"

 

[Eric Patterson]

Tim

I believe Bull would break the 6lb test on my ultra light rig. Nice work.

 

[TimJ]

Tim

I believe Bull would break the 6lb test on my ultra light rig. Nice work.

Thanks. Since he's about 16" long we're talking world record territory. Nobody would ever believe the story about the one that got away.

 

[Steve Sanford]

I've been working on some paintings recently that I can't show yet on the major platforms. I'll show one here since the odds of anyone involved seeing it here are astronomically low.
This is Josie. She has had a tough life with many injuries but I understand she is still always happy. 10x10 acrylics on canvas.
View attachment 54747

A few days ago I need a palate cleanser from working on dogs. I like painting dogs but fish are what I like the most. A quick sketch and some loose painting (for me) on an old canvas. 16x20 angry Bluegill. "Bull"
View attachment 54748

Tim~

Beautiful work! And, I'm seeing them this morning with other great work here. I was flat-out late-January through our March 2 Long Island Decoy Collectors Annual Show - which Anthony Babich presented here recently. I'm guessing I had 200+ hours to the Show in recent weeks - and I'm sure Anthony topped that. (I know because we were e-mailing throughout several nights....)

The Show theme as the centennial of the Pattersquash Gunners Association. I was responsible for the entire "static exhibit" and for the gifts we gave to selected public officials whose agencies have helped Pattersquash over the years (and decades). So, I had a few copies of "The Red Suspenders" printed by VistaPrint. (size of run and modest budgets kept me away from "art" printers). I was very pleased with the results. This is Craig Kessler presenting one.



I took the photo on which I based the 2017 watercolor back in the early '80s. Turned out to be especially valuable because both the Scooter and the Black Duck stool were lost in a 1987 fire - which leveled the gunning shack. I hope you all get copies of the documentary Anthony/LIDCA is offering on the LIDCA website: https://www.lidecoycollectors.com/activities

The video tells the story of the 3 shacks used by Pattersquash over the 100 years - and the tribulations from wind (the Great Hurricane of 1938), fire (same shack but burned in 1987); and (Superstorm Sandy washed Pelican Island away in 2013) - and the building on the new shack.

The gunner sporting the red suspenders is good friend Mike Scheibel. The Scooter was built by Benjamin Hallock back in the 1920s and the cork decoys were all carved by Mike.

I did a couple more pieces of "flat work" for the show. This natural cork Brant decoy was made by John Boyle - probably in the 1920s or '30s. He was a local carver and co-founder of Pattersquash. The chain ballast was common on Bellport decoys of that era. Brown Bros. owned the hardware store in Bellport - from whence the short length of chain no doubt originated. The painting is watercolors with just a bit of help from an ink pen.




Today will be spent on the restoration/customizing of yet another South Bay Duckboat. I'm happy to report the 'glass grinding is out of the way.

All the best.

SJS

 

[Eric Patterson]

Steve

When you retired did you ever think you would be as productive and complete as many projects as you are? I'm always amazed at what you accomplish in any given month.

 

[Charles H.]

Rehab project, I just picked up these three decoys on Facebook Marketplace for $75. The add said "Vintage Oversized Pintail decoys". I suspect they are LL Beans, unless there are knock off beans out there. One of the keels has hen pintail stenciled on it but they are not painted as pintails. I'm thinking I'll repurpose them as black ducks for the NJ marshes next fall.

I just completed this book shelf/supply station for my classroom.

 

[Anthony Babich]

Steve

When you retired did you ever think you would be as productive and complete as many projects as you are? I'm always amazed at what you accomplish in any given month.

Steve never sleeps! A true machine!

 

[TimJ]

Tim~

Beautiful work! And, I'm seeing them this morning with other great work here. I was flat-out late-January through our March 2 Long Island Decoy Collectors Annual Show - which Anthony Babich presented here recently. I'm guessing I had 200+ hours to the Show in recent weeks - and I'm sure Anthony topped that. (I know because we were e-mailing throughout several nights....)

The Show theme as the centennial of the Pattersquash Gunners Association. I was responsible for the entire "static exhibit" and for the gifts we gave to selected public officials whose agencies have helped Pattersquash over the years (and decades). So, I had a few copies of "The Red Suspenders" printed by VistaPrint. (size of run and modest budgets kept me away from "art" printers). I was very pleased with the results. This is Craig Kessler presenting one.

View attachment 54792

I took the photo on which I based the 2017 watercolor back in the early '80s. Turned out to be especially valuable because both the Scooter and the Black Duck stool were lost in a 1987 fire - which leveled the gunning shack. I hope you all get copies of the documentary Anthony/LIDCA is offering on the LIDCA website: https://www.lidecoycollectors.com/activities

The video tells the story of the 3 shacks used by Pattersquash over the 100 years - and the tribulations from wind (the Great Hurricane of 1938), fire (same shack but burned in 1987); and (Superstorm Sandy washed Pelican Island away in 2013) - and the building on the new shack.

The gunner sporting the red suspenders is good friend Mike Scheibel. The Scooter was built by Benjamin Hallock back in the 1920s and the cork decoys were all carved by Mike.

I did a couple more pieces of "flat work" for the show. This natural cork Brant decoy was made by John Boyle - probably in the 1920s or '30s. He was a local carver and co-founder of Pattersquash. The chain ballast was common on Bellport decoys of that era. Brown Bros. owned the hardware store in Bellport - from whence the short length of chain no doubt originated. The painting is watercolors with just a bit of help from an ink pen.

View attachment 54793


Today will be spent on the restoration/customizing of yet another South Bay Duckboat. I'm happy to report the 'glass grinding is out of the way.

All the best.

SJS

Very cool Mr. Sanford.
You are a man of many talents and a wealth of knowledge. You've inspired me to try a decoy painting here in the near future.

 

[MLBob Furia]

Completed the painting on one of the two black duck decoys I have going (the hen).

Some of you may remember a time when Keith Mueller was posting a lot of the photos he would later use in his book, The Art in Making Decoys, here on DHBP (2006-08?). We had the opportunity to pre-order copies, and Keith put a pencil remarque of a black duck on the copy he sent me. It was Keith's sketch that inspired the pattern for this decoy:

 

[Rick Pierce]

As always, some good stuff on here...

 

[Eric Patterson]

Bob

I definitely remember when Keith was an active participant here and his decoy making abilities are at an elite level. I think your Black has a wonderfully graceful pose and your paint is exquisite. Wow!

 

[Eric Patterson]

You may recall I bought a 2013 Tacoma for my work/hunting truck. The factory sound system wasn't to my liking so I've been upgrading it. This weekend I started on a speaker box that will mount to the back wall of the cab. It will hold a pair of 6x9s and a 10" sub woofer.

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

From Black Ducks to Bluegills (2 of my favorite things...) and other very good work. Keep at it one and all. Show the world yer stuff. Makes me smile.


Best regards
Vince

 

[Eric Patterson]

With a little luck this project will get checked off the to-do list today. As of last night this is where I am. Speaker box complete and mounted. Wires ran to box. Just need to mount speakers and amps and connect wires. Lastly put the interior back together.

 

[Brad Bortner]

With a little luck this project will get checked off the to-do list today. As of last night this is where I am. Speaker box complete and mounted. Wires ran to box. Just need to mount speakers and amps and connect wires. Lastly put the interior back together.View attachment 54938View attachment 54939View attachment 54940

I think we will hear and feel your music all the way on the Pacific Coast.

 

[Eric Patterson]

This project is DONE! Just put the interior all back together.