June - Whats on your workbench?

There's some sweet work this month as usual. Bob Welsh nice looking rig, I especially like the close up of the sleepers. Pat, love the widgeon. MLBob, the calls are beautiful, and EURO is gorgeous. RCD, the teal is going to make someone very happy. I finished up my mottled and made a mate for him.





I also finished up my bow. Shoots pretty sweet. It still needs a little more tilling.


 
With some reluctance I share this photo. You guys are so good that it is somewhat intimidating. The first decoy is in some paint, not done yet, but wearing some of the basic colors in mostly the appropriate places. I really have to go back and figure out the blending of the greys to get the bill right. I also need to figure out what I want to do and how I need to do the tail feathers.

The rest of the heads are each somewhere along the way. Spent most of the weekend at a soccer tourney with my daughter, so with down time between games I spent some time in beautiful weather learning to carve Buffleheads (literally :) ). Trying for a uniform look and working on bill shape. I haven't really been pleased with the shapes I have made so far. I plan to look through my study photos in the books that I have and hundreds of photos saved on the computer.

Enough of the babbling about how good I am not, here's the bench photo:

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And by the way, my daughter's soccer team swept the tourney, and earned the championship in their age bracket. That always makes me smile.
Chad A
 
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Too much nice work on here, I'll ugly it up a little.

Couple Labor Days ago, my wife and I were in Port Aransas, driving down the beach and I noticed something.  All the cheap $5 or $10 boogie boards that had broken and were piled up in the trashcans, especially near the boardwalks over the dunes from the large hotels.

I got an itch to reclaim the trash for decoys so stocked up:

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I finally got around to finishing them today, the itch is scratched, now I doubt I'll do anymore of them :D

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Well, these are not really what I'm working on right now but I don't think I've posted them up so.....here's to blue-winged teal, one of my favorite ducks in the marsh and in the pan. And yes Brandon, i will trim the tails down;-)

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Andrew~

Great looking birds - and don't touch those tails! They remind me of shorebirds and it definitely adds some visual interest complexity to the stern.

All the best,

SJS
 
Nice looking birds Andrew! I especially like those heads and bills tilted up. A stately look! And, I'm with Steve, don't touch those tails... Pat
 
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Tom and John, I didn't see the post until re reading it today. Thank you for the comments. John I would be glad to share the pattern drop me a PM or email to remind me though I am going to be running for the next two weeks but could make a copy when I get back and drop it in the mail.

Andrew like the teal.
 
When your early season starts, those teal don't stand a chance when they see your spread, Kristan. Very nice.
Al
 
finished my Mother's Day/Mom's birthday gift finally. Lucky for me she is patient when she knows it is not coming from the store.
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Tom,
That is a dandy avocet. I love seeing them at Bosque del Apache NWR. Their feeding habits are so unique.
I'm thinking that your pup will have plenty of retrieving supplies with all of those wings in the background! Good to see you are prepared.
Al
 
Ive dedicated myself to some serious dust. Eider production is making me crazy too
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