9/25

Well, Back from Canada ... I was on the yearly fishing trip to the wilds of the north Canada... had a good time.. caught some fish and ate too much.. slept and just relaxed on the lake... fishing was a little off this year we boated 520 fish for the week.. that was four of us...

but always a good time... already started planning for next year...

here are some shots of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that I finished... fun little bird to carve and paint... also a shot of the Raven head that I'm working on...

need to finish some Teal before hunting season...

9/10

Well, here is the next project.. another big bird. hopefully this will be a Raven...

made a pattern and did some research... got a study bill from Tony Finazzo... glued up some white pine... started removing wood...

This will be the last of the big birds until I start my world rig when I return from Maine in Oct...

Have a couple of ideas going around in my head... will start putting them on paper soon...

Don't forget to vist www.smokerdecoys.com

9-1

Well, been working in the paint room... just finished two set of mini Swans...

Swans are about 4" long and all have different head postions...

Fun little projects... mounted on a old barn board....

Doing some other painting on a Goldeneye and another Woodpecker...

Don't forget to check out the web site.. www.smokerdecoys.com

8/31

Well another shop night.. Here are some shots of the project I have been working on...

Some shots from the past seminar...

First is what a wood carvers space should look like... lots of clutter and several steps going on at once..

Number two is the Pileated Woodpecker I carved before the seminar and the one that I carved during the seminar..

Last is the Stilt.. the Stilt was fun project and had great lines.. just like a classic shorebird decoy should look like...

Shop was busy.. and the weather was warm... going to cut out a Raven next...

8/24

Well,
It has been real busy here the last two weeks.. with the seminar last weekend and work and house work and out to eat and shop night and etc and etc...

The seminar went well.. the folks really had to move some wood to get the Pileated Woodpecker project done.. first time I was ever nervours about getting students done at a weekend seminar... but they were troopers and left the building happy and most important with a finished bird that they made in two days..

Lots of sore hands after this one... not many cuts...

the Stilt project was great,, those people were done early.. I think We could do that project in one day if you hustled... but I'll save that for anothertime..
Now back to the grindstone...
Don't forget to check out the new website.. www.smokerdecoys.com

8/12

Well, another shop night.. and a busy one at that...

worked on a pattern with Rob.. he is going to carve a bird for the Chesapeke Challenge in Oct...

Harly started a red-winged blackbird..

As you can see I'm working on the queen of all woodpeckers.. this is a Imperial Woodpecker female in the rough.. had to do alot of research for the project to even start... hard to find stuff these particular woodpeckers... but this is how I see them... looking foreward to getting this one to paint..

www.smokerdecoys.com

8/10

Well, it is hot here and carving is slow... been working on some Woodpeckers and thinking about this fall when hunting season is here and we get to use some of these fine decoys that we carve...

Mark is working on the web site, he just added a album of photos.. check it out.. www.smokerdecoys.com

Going to have a seminar in a couple of weeks... will post some photos of that.. carving a woodpecker or a stilt... should be interesting...