green wing teal finished

[tom41]

http://i10.tinypic.com/52nuwsz.jpg
http://i17.tinypic.com/63jo64g.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/4tz8nx3.jpg
this is a greenwing teal male, carved from basswood, this one I had started sometime back. Usually I will have 3 or 4 (sometimes even more started at same time) started and working on them at different times to keep from getting bored ! Finally got this little guy done today. thanks

[nailbender]

John,
You just continue to amaze me.
Beside being a master wood carver, you are also a outstanding artist.
Would really like to see some of your work in person.

[Ozzie]

I'd love to see them in person too...very nice work!

[slewis]

Yep, what nailbender said! You have a creative eye/hand for sure. I really love looking at your
finished projects. So gorgeous. Do you have patterns to follow or do you just look up a picture
of your subject online?
Sandy

[Dano]

Very nice!
Do you ever use a woodburner for anything on the birds?

[tom41]

Thanks nailbender and Ozzie for the nice compliments. Maybe one day we will meet you guys and we'll talk and look at carving!! Sandy, I have 2 big ring binders full of pictures I have collected. also I look up on the computer the bird I am going to carve and study it for serveral days before carving. Then I carve the subject, sand it as smooth as a babys behind, detail the wings and the body, Dano thats where I use the woodburning tools, I have 2 that I use with different pens. I also do some of the texureing with white stones in a dremel tool. I used to use glass eyes in all my carvings but now I can sarve them in and finish the eyes where they cant be told from glass eyes. I make the legs and feet from either clothes hangersor copper wire, carve the toes and claws with a diamond burr in the dremel. I guess you can tell I love carving!! I'm a long way from the best, but I bet I enjoy it just as much as the "best"!! lol , I'm starting on a winter wren, so maybe I will send the step by step progress. thanks and God bless all! Tom