March 2014 Workbench Thread

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"Bob,
Now that is a picture I would almost pay to see. You, sitting in the salon chair with your nails all neatly spatter painted, getting some eye-lash extensions. Yep it would be worth the 79.00 dollars just to see that!"

Dave,
I know you've seen this picture of me before, but I'll post it once more.... free of charge. I think I may have just come from the salon when it was taken. Either that or I was warming down from my daily cardio workout.View attachment When_I'm_old_and_grey_I'll_still_be_hot!1[1].JPG
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Bob~

Question: What brush(es) do you use for your fine lines (like the feather ribs) ?
All the best,

SJS

Steve,
Sorry for the late reply, I just noticed you had asked this question. Just ask or look for a "script liner" wherever you get your brushes. They can prove pretty handy for getting into confined areas as well.
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Bob & Pat~

Both of those heads are just the latest in my long struggle to "get" my favorite species. We all have a bunch of carver's works swirling around in our subconscious. With the Drake, I am trying for a Thousand Islands-style highhead/swimmer. The fat cheeks on my birds probably come from Al McCormick (LI's "Mister Decoy" who sawed his Black Duck heads out of 4x4 redcedar). The stark transitions from one color patch to another - like the Hen's face-plate - probably are a nod to Joseph Lincoln/ Lee & Lem Dudley. I plan to do these birds as flat-bottoms - like Wildfowlers or the old balsa Herters. And, they will be trim (for a Broadbill), active poses - not my usual contented hunched-up, frigid-weather Broadbill.

I just threw Body # 1 in the stove - after a fatal crack was revealed by the draw knife - so, wish me luck!

All the best,

SJS
 
Did a pair of scaup decoys yesterday that were a marriage of traditional patterns and contemporary design. I found a great bluebill head pattern by Clarence Bartow in Eugene Connett's book, Making Decoys book. Using it for a head pattern along with my great grandad's canvasback body pattern, I did these scaup decoys. Once carved out, the heads even have a little Mark Whipple style to them.

Heads are Wisconsin White Pine and bodies are balsa. I have been enjoying not undercutting my tails and thank Pete Revicki for this inspiration. I also feather stamped each decoy along with some carving on the primaries. Generally, way more than I do but, every now and then, I get inspired thanking God for ability to make a decoy... Enjoy!

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Love the head positions on those birds pat!

I guess as long as I keep finishing stuff I might as well post it, here's two teal that i recently finished

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Last sessions on the drake of the widgeon pair


This is the bird prior to the last spatter done to add the vermiculation:





Bird after spatter and the addition of a few final details:
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And like the old magazine from when we were kids, " Find the 10 different things in this picture."



Q tips are gone..........
Blue coffee can is moved,
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Thanks Bob. Nice job. Sure wish you came up to the show each March! Think Spring!
 
Got started on a basswood laughing gull yesterday and forgot to take some pics, broke my drawknife, threw said gull across the room in anger.

Today I started over and chopped the head off the gull to use on a cork gunning gull....again no pics.

Changed directions and ended up with this Speckled Trout. It's a thin piece of cypress I had laying around. Maybe 16" long. Still a toss up whether I'll paint it or make it stain grade.

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