March - What's on your workbench ?

Steve Sanford

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
I figured it was OK to jump ahead one day to begin the March thread - what with it being a Leap Year and all....

More important, I had a bunch of pent up activity because these birds were for our Contemporary Decoy Exhibition on Feb 27 - so I had to keep the wraps on them to preserve the integrity of our contest....

Thanks to member Tom Russo - who brought me a 20+ year old case of Wiley Cork - I could make a burnt (scorched, really) cork Black Duck. Tail insert is half-inch White Pine.



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I paint the carved and sanded body with Linseed Oil, then set it afire with my BernzoMatic. The rag pats out the flames before they turn the cork to charcoal - and also rubs the mix of soot (lamp black) and oil residue into the cork.




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I burn the pine tail insert, too. The head is screwed on - set in black caulk - after the body is burned.

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We Long Islanders like flat keels - so the bird will sit upright when the tide runs out.



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I entered this "refrigerator cork" Brant in the CDE even though I made it a few years ago. In our first year of the CDE, we did not require that entries be completed within the past calendar year. We will likely impose that requirement in Year 2.


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This is another earlier bird - but I was never happy with the head so I recarved it for this Show.


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This is the first "fancy" (mantel-piece style) Black I have done. It's hollow basswood. In the interest of time, I finished it with acrylics.




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Yes, those are raindrops. The photo session could not wait for dry weather.....


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All the best,

SJS
 
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Steve, It was good meeting you in person after knowing you"virtually" for awhile. Did you have another burnt cork black duck at the show? I seem to remember two? Either way they really have a nice prescence to them and I enjoyed seeing all the nice variations the contest brought out.

As we talked about at the show, this is "carving" season. So a few just off my bench. A couple you saw Saturday.








And to break up the time in the painting bench a quick little Oil sketch of one of my favorite gunning cabins on the marsh. This one is known as the "Snow Goose Lodge" and is painted as it may have looked it better days.




 
Steve, very nice birds you have there, that burnt cork black is a pretty sweet gunner!
Jode , as usual very nice!
John
 
hey Jode I hunted the last two days of the season out of motts creek.I got lost for a brief second because the cabins are not there, nothing but pilings where they stood.. I like your flat work

Your decoys ok. Hope you get my attempt at humor

Phil
 
Steve great looking spread as always! When you do your texturing like in your blackhead, do you use texturing medium like gesso or just scratch the paint? I would give my left nut for another case of good old Wiley cork again!
 
John, thanks. I am sure you have something in the works? Let's see it!

Joe, I appreciate it. There's only a few left, but I am fortunate to have lots of photos of them going back 50 years or so.

Phil, I didn't know the ones at Motts are gone. Sad. Your tounge and cheek reference wasn't lost on me.


Bob, thanks I know with the weather your having out there you'll be burrowed in the shop like a squirrel in its nest!
 
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Jode , yes I have a greenwing still needing paint ,I,m struggling so I,m trying to learn how to paint her with a practice bird & boy do I need practice. In the meantime I can admire the works of art I see on this forum,
All the Best, John
 
Haven't spend a ton of time in my shop this month, however I am working on a cork Black duck for a rig and a Can. I did spend the past 2 weekends at the Jode Hillman decoy class at the Tuckerton Seaport what an amazing experience!! I learned so much about painting yesterday and it was nice to carve some of this decoy with traditional tools. Thanks again Jode for an amazing experience. I have so many ideas to improve my carving and feel confident enough to try and take some chances with my painting. If any of you ever have a chance to take a class from Jode jump on it. Some pictures of the bird from class I couldn't decide which one to post so I will post a bunch enjoy
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Bob, Love the look you acheive with the spatter! The one time I tired it I ended up with more paint on me than the decoy.

Pat neat Bluewing. I recognized your Scaup right away at the show last week. Had a great look to it.

Larry, the Black dried nice and soft looking!
 
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My old plastic feeder butts are gradually become unrepairable.

So I took a round piece of and carved one out. It will get a basic paint job of a brown back & sides and white belly.
And I carved a flattie to go along with the Herters 63 diver heads I bought from Jon earlier this winter. These are much more rounded and have a lower profile vs. the foamers I did a few years back.

Both have two heavy coats of mastic and then two coats of white primer. No burlap, I want to see how they hold up without it.
No bottom boards either.
The keels are/will be composite trim boards.
Have floated the butt yet, probably this weekend.
More pics after I paint them.
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[inline FoamerFlattie2.jpg ]

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Sean~

The vermiculation on that Broadbill was done with a steel graining comb and straight oil paints. I have not tried it with Gesso - I'm too Old School - but Pete Revicki is a master for this species. I believe he uses one of the thicker gesso products.

All the best,

SJS
 
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