I am a second-generation bird carver. I grew up watching my father carve duck decoys and later more complex carvings. Dad cut out my first couple of birds on his bandsaw and taught me basic carving techniques. He also taught me to love the outdoors and helped develop my interest in birding. I started serious carving about 2017 after a class at JC Campbell Folk Art School. However, my career as an environmental engineer, as well as a passion for hiking, camping, and paddling continued to nurture my interest in and study of birds.

Since retirement I have turned to carving as a creative endeavor that speaks to both my love of outdoors and interest in conservation. For example, Kingfishers and Green Herons fascinate me. I consider them bellwether species for the environment in that they require clean water and abundant space. Where Kingfishers and Green Herons thrive, so does the environment.

Carving gives me immense satisfaction. It allows me to be entirely in the present for hours at a time. While carving I do not think about the past, re-live old conversations, or plan future activities. I concentrate entirely on the details before me. It is special time.

I generally carve each bird from a single block of wood. Tupelo gum, grown in the swamps of Eastern NC, is my preferred wood but I occasionally use basswood. All my paints are acrylic. Eyes and feet are purchased; some feet are hand-crafted. I craft bases and stands from materials collected in Pisgah National Forest or other interesting forests and waterways. In addition to Kingfishers and Green Herons, I carve Northern Cardinals, Downey Woodpeckers, Eastern Screech Owls, Blue Jays, Sandpipers, Robins, Piping Plovers, Tufted Titmice, Chickadees, Eastern Towhees, White-Breasted Nuthatches, and Atlantic Puffins. I recently carved a Redpoll Finch for college friends who invited us to Duluth, MN for a winter trip. We saw Redpolls in their yard.