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My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) #6434140 09/01/16 12:42 PM
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Dave Speer Offline OP
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"What I did over my summer vacation by me."

So in June I took a decoy painting class with Keith Mueller who has won (I believe) every category at the Ward World Championships for decoy carving. I learned a ton from Keith, our main project was a BWT drake inspired by old decoy carver Elmer Crowell who was a master at painting-- and, as Keith said "we're gonna do it like Crowell, but with a little extra paint." It's hard to tell in any one single picture but every feather on this bird is shaded and countershaded with multiple colors and values of paint.



That teal was a 40+ hr paint job so for stress relief, Keith usually teaches an antique in parallel. When your shoulders and neck are sore and your eyes are feeling squinty, it's a lot of fun to take a decoy and beat it on gravel, take a torch to it, etc. Here is the Franklin's Gull from class.



When I got back home, I was fired up about what I learned painting, but also a little burned out. I enjoyed doing the antique bird so much that I did a couple of contemporary antique doves.







Then I managed to remove half of my thumbnail after a several hour long session of hand sanding some stone sculptures one day. And to be honest as much as I like making ducks, I needed a break. So I started several projects, some of which are still not done. I did a lot of carving while my sanding thumb healed, and as such didn't paint birds for a little while since none were ready. This project is still in exactly this state, needs finish carving, sanding and paint. "Fish City."



The evening after I roughed out fish city, I had fish on the brain and wanted to try something; this is painted and carved... relieved only... the blacks are all low spots. It's basically a painting with just a touch of 3D. "Fish Cuz."



Ok let me not get too far off topic, here's some more ducks.

Gaddie head:



Picklehead decoys:



Redhead hen:


Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6434141 09/01/16 12:42 PM
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Did I say I wasn't gonna get off topic? Well for me it's all on topic, it's all wildlife art, and part of what I love to do when I'm not actually IN the outdoors.

Here is a green phase Brazilian soapstone fish carving I did, mounted on mesquite. While being just a generic fish riding a riverbed, it lives now in a very appropriate home, trout capital of the world, Bozeman, Montana.



And another diversion, "Tails UP!"







Being a moderator, it's hard for me to say this, but WHAT THIS FORUM NEEDS IS MORE NEKKID LADIES!!! AMIRIGHT?



I have a lot of work to do on her still. It was very rewarding and also frustrating trying to learn enough anatomy to carve her. I think I'll do more, but I have to at least finish this first! She needs LOTS of sanding and smoothing... no, her ribs are not gonna be poky like that when she's done.

... back to the birds... Two bird commission for one of our coastal duck guides:





Crowell-style snipe:



And finally, yes, there are more projects on my workbench in various states, here's a couple more decoys getting glued up. They haven't progressed at all since then, been SO busy!



I hope everyone had a wonderful "summer vacation" and thank you dear eight pound, six ounce, newborn infant Jesus, it's finally HUNTIN SEASON AGAIN!

Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6434144 09/01/16 12:43 PM
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Cool up


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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Stub] #6434526 09/01/16 05:23 PM
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Originally Posted By: Stub
Cool up

Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6434529 09/01/16 05:25 PM
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That is some awesome work. My favorites are the antique dove decoys.


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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6434940 09/01/16 10:38 PM
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looks like you need a vacation....nice work.... cheers


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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6434970 09/01/16 11:00 PM
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Nice work up


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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6435040 09/01/16 11:58 PM
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You have had a very busy summer. Nice job on all.



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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6435115 09/02/16 01:20 AM
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Awesome work!

Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6435285 09/02/16 03:11 AM
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wow, amazing work!

Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6435292 09/02/16 03:19 AM
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Awesome



Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6435498 09/02/16 01:15 PM
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Very dang nice!


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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6440257 09/06/16 02:45 PM
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Thanks everyone for the nice words!

Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: dogcatcher] #6440452 09/06/16 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted By: dogcatcher
That is some awesome work. My favorites are the antique dove decoys.


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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Stompy] #6445525 09/09/16 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: Stompy
Originally Posted By: dogcatcher
That is some awesome work. My favorites are the antique dove decoys.


X3...the nekkid lady is cool too.....a lot more difficult than a bird I would imagine... flehan


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Re: My Summer Vacation Report (lots of pix) [Re: Dave Speer] #6458555 09/19/16 03:46 PM
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So in the last picture I posted above, in the far left you can see a GWT palm frond decoy, ready for paint. Palm frond decoys are mostly a California tradition (and they're not the same species of palm we have here in Texas, which don't have a thick enough base). The goal/challenge of a palm frond decoy is to project the species, while maintaining as much as possible the original shape of the palm frond. Sometimes they are carved with a big booty, sometimes they are oriented the other way with a big chest. They have kind of a hump/curve from their center lines (top view) to their edges. And the shape makes it a challenge to work out a paint scheme that looks good for both the duck and shape - not to mention the fact that they're only "kind of" symmetric, which isn't a big deal, until you try to lay out hen feathers!

Here it is painted up:






And here it is in the marsh with about 80 of its closest plastic friends, motorized and non laugh



I do hunt over my decoys, but depending on the situation -- like when the other hunters want to run a spread bigger than I have, etc... I have to slum and maybe throw a token out laugh

BTW my cousin's wife pointed out that the picture captured the most wonderful cloud dragon she had ever seen. I hadn't noticed it until she pointed it out-- it IS pretty epic!

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