Cor*cd -o!«rto-l produced by John and Clare So
-»*«
ol llnoboth City ore remortobly oath*"!* (photo»
by Jeo w,M«o-»
Birds That Don’t Fly
How a fine old arl of The Albemarle
is being carried lo new heights of
excellence.
By joi: W ISHMAA
With its tidal marshes, great fresh
water sounds, and the Atlantic Ocean
precariously held in check by the
Outer Banks. Northeastern North
Carolina has long enjoyed an abun¬
dance of shore birds and migratory
waterfowl. For centuries, local
craftsmen have practiced the art of
wood carving, and among their favo¬
rite subjects are the birds of the Al¬
bemarle.
Today, interest in wildfowl carving
is at an all time high. Songbirds, birds
of prey, and the ever popular water-
fowl are all being produced in great
quality if not quantity. Depending on
the artist, the work may be an un¬
painted likeness of a native species,
usually shaped from white pine or lo¬
cally grown juniper. Such figures are
simply done with a minimum of detail,
and rely largely on the artist's power
of suggestion to capture the eye of the
beholder.
More sophisticated work is also
being produced both in miniature and
life size, with the utmost attention
being given to the precise details of the
species. Prime examples feature relief
carving of individual feathers, and in
some instances the major feathers are
sculptured from separate pieces of
wood and inserted one by one into the
wings and body of the bird.
These remarkably authentic replicas
are nearly always hand painted, which
is a highly specialized craft in itself. It
is not uncommon for the painting oper¬
ation to require as many hours of in¬
tense effort as the carving; a fact which
makes many carvers reluctant to paint
their own work. In such cases it is
propitious indeed to have both a
painter and a carver in the same family.
This is the system utilized by the hus¬
band and wife team of John and Clara
Sawyer, of Elizabeth City, and with
extraordinary success. John, who is
employed by the Virginia Electric and
Power Company, is one of the most
promising of today's new breed of
carvers.
Competition Helps
In times past, wood carving, some¬
times referred to as whittling, was
thought of as the pastime of old men.
Many carvers did in fact begin their
careers late in life; a decided disadvan¬
tage in an art form which demands a
keen eye and steady hand. Occasion¬
ally an individual achieved considera¬
ble expertise and was thought to be
good or even great by local non¬
carvers; but lacking anything with
which to compare their work, most
soon reached a plateau in their de¬
velopment and made little further
progress.
By contrast, today’s craftsmen, like
John Sawyer, often begin carving
when still in their twenties and thirties.
They can and do attain a higher skill
level in five years than their counter¬
part of yesteryear did in twenty years.
The reason, along with sharp eyes and
nimble fingers is that greatest of all
motivators — competition. Almost
without exception, the contemporary
masters of wildfowl carving attribute
their excellence to exposure to new
techniques and the criticism of other
carvers— both by-products of compe¬
tition. As a result of this interchange of
ideas, the products coming from the
hands of today's craftsmen arc the
finest ever, and arc constantly improv¬
ing.
A look at some of the prize-w inning
14
THE STATE. SCPTCMBCa 1975