12/31

Here is a shot of the Scoters on there way to being roughed out... the hen is the low head and the drake is the high head... I'm going to try some things on these birds that I never done before...

12/28

Well the hoilday season is almost over... here are a couple of shorebirds that I just finished..

both are done in a antiqur style.. I think I will enter them in some gunning shorebird contests...

Also have four others to paint...

With the new year arriving soon, it is time to get busy with my contest birds...

12/17

Here are photos of the Cardinals that I made for Christmas... just found a image in a book of craft items and made a pattern from there... busy night at shop...

12/16

Been working on some christmas orders... made a Cardinals orniment for carving club exchange, but Sue wanted more made so, I do what I am told and did six more... worked on my Scoter some and will be painting some woodpecker over the weekend...

12/10

Well it is hunting season here in PA... the hunting has been great, but the getting is bad..

Hardly any birds around and the deer I saw in archery have vanised..

Painted a Wood Duck last night to teach Ron that painting can be fun..

Here is a photo of a wood and metal piece that I did... the wood was a found object in Maine.. just added the metal wave for display...

Good crowd at the shop but too many hunting stories to get anything serious done..

11/29

Here is a photo of my latest decoy.. a Chickadees.. this one was an order for x-mas .. i carved another just for so... also a photo of some woodpecker, textured and ready for paint... I will get on them this week...

11/22

Here is a photo of the load of white pine that we unloaded this week...

over 3000 board feet... just wanted one picture before the wood goes out to other carvers...

nice and clear and some big sizes...

I got some great ideas to carve with my share of the wood...

11/20

Well, I was working night shift and missed a shop night... and duck season has started here... not many ducks around...we tried to used alot of decoys to get some bird but that didn't work..

On Thursday, I floated a Grebe that will be finished for next year contest... worked on my trio also

Also, help with the eagle and Rob floated some Scaup... busy weekend coming up

11/12 pm

Just returned from shop night... busy night... lots of folks carving

Also delivered seven birds to a fellow for his rig... hope that he enjoys them for many years...

Finished cutting out my trio... going to hit these hard in the next sessions... I can see the birds in the wood, just got to get them out of there...

11/12

Well as the story goes...I have been busy with life.. other than carving...

Here are a few Buffleheads that I just finished.. these birds will be floating on the Susquehanna this season.. hopfully bringing birds in.. if not decoying birds at least the hunter should have some nice decoys to look at...

Been gathering reference material for the trio.. and been working on them some... will try and finish laying in the bill and flow line in the hen's head...wish me luck

11/5

Worked on my chickadees and got them mounted to there sticks,...now ready for paint..

Here is a photo of a hen Bufflehead that I just finished...

Good night at shop.. everyone carving and we are solving the worlds problems...

11/3

Now we are in November... winter approaching and activity at the shop is rising... people love to carve in the winter...
all the old guys were there and they were all busy...
I finished two Chickadees and pick out the bases for both...
Next shop night I will mount the Chickadees and work on the trio....

10/29

Well, tonight was another busy night at the shop... many people doing all kinda carvings... even had some painting going on...
Tonight was Chickadee night... tried to carve two Chickadees in one night but did not get them done... not much left, one more night should do it...

10/28

Been busy with items around the house, so the carving was a little slower this weekend...

Monday work on metal hold down for the boat blind...

Shop night was busy with lot of workers..

had four people carving.. of course all were carving different items... Ben (who is 10) is done with football and now back to carving for the winter... he is working on a Canvasback..one guy is working on shorebirds, one is a Swan, one is a Eagle..

I finish the Ivory-bill and it is now ready for paint... Here is a photo of a pair of Goldeneyes that I finished tonight.. alway fun to paint... How the person who ordered these Goldeneyes likes what I did with the style... oversized decoys...

10/22

Well another shop night... Busy night, with many visitors.. Rob and Eric... Zac and Ron and don't forget Herb...

Then there is also my family, Jeri my sister, Alison my niece and her offspring Ben and M.R... and my great niece Delia..

As you can see I hit this Ivory-bill hard... should have it ready for paint next week... that will remove one more distraction from doing my world rig... sand and putty next week and off to paint, with many other birds..

Covered alot of topics tonight and pretty much figuared out all the worlds problems...

10/20

Well, another shop night is in the book... work on the Ivory-billed and should get most of that together in the next session... hollow a grebe and re-keeled a Black Duck gunner... and work alittle on the world trio... will set a time line to get these birds done... I am the king of procrastination... and I am easily distracted.. you know shinny objects and moving parts...

last night was our local carving club meeting.. this month we had a field trip to my paint room...what a good meeting... talking about referance material, painting and decoys...

10/18

Here is a photo of a Harlequin Drake gunning decoy that I finished... This is the third Harly that I ever made... boy can you have some fun painting on one of these...

10/15

Well, just got home from shop night... one old guy and his younger student... the kid is 15 and wants to learn the art... so, we will show him what we know... he is working on a mini Loon... and the old guy is carving his heron and started some shorebirds...

I worked on the heads from my worlds project... need to buckle down and get these bird rough in so I can start planning the details... finish a small woodpecker and work on an Ivory-bill... I will fit the woodpecker in when I can... Eric stoped by to pick-up cork and talk about gunning...

Jeri braved the cold and came down...

10/14..

Well last night was shop night with my old guys showing up... one is 69 and the other is 70... one is working on a Eagle and the other is working on a Heron... what fun to watch.... they are both learning and have discovered a new hobby that they enjoy and there is a finish project...

My sister Jeri stop in to talk and see what is happening...

I carved a small wooodpecker and work on my worlds trio...

Shop night 10/13

Getting ready for shop night... will be working on several projects... Ivory-bill Woodpecker, my worlds trio... and we will see who shows up for assistances...

Starting

As this is the first time that I took the step and decided to write down what is happening in my wood carving world... this will be thoughts and stories of what it is to be a decoy maker / wood carver...

A little back ground... while learning the art of woodcarving for the past 20+ years, I have met and worked with some of the greatest people that anyone would ever want to know...

Stating with my father Richard B. Smoker... he started myself on the path and really showed the basic and the sheer enjoyment that comes from making items with your own hands... next would be my older and much more talented brother Rich W. Smoker, even though he is a world champion, he always has time to help and discuss ideas with me...

I have taken classes from many great carver and I also share what I have learned with others...

With that said.. I have a small carving shop and carve two night a week... several people come and carve with me... I do my painting at my home.. less dust and more relaxed...

I really decided to do this to keep a record of making a world class rig of three birds... I know that it will be a chore and many hours will be spent... but this project is something that I want to do... Worlds is in April, 2010 so we got five months...