Mini Decoy Carved

I added an 1/8th inch to the bottom of the mallard decoy so it would look a little more rounded at the bottom. I was able to improve the curl at the tail. For the eyes I drilled an 1/8 inch hole while the bird was in the squared form. After carving the head I used a dowel for the eyes. I rounded the end of the dowel on a drill motor with sand paper and made sure it fit the hole. I burned in the nostril, every thing else is carved. I kept it simple and any detail wanted can be painted on. It is now ready to paint.

Mini Duck Decoy

This is my first carving of a mini duck decoy. It is a male Mallard and is about 5 inches long. From this I will be able to see what changes I will need to do in the design, carving and in painting. In a future blog I will tell what I changed. This time of the season the ducks, geese and swans migrate north. They stop at the shallow ends of the lake to feed. It is an enjoyable time to bird watch as there are so many birds.

Chickadee

I carved two Chickadee's, one in basswood and one in white pine. The one in pine I used the stone on the upper back and head. I was also a little more aggressive with my stoning. I like the softer look a little better on the Basswood. I use a knife and gouges to cave birds,  and power for stoning. These birds are intended to be hung as a Christmas ornament or I hang mine in the motor home from one of the ceiling vents.