Good morning, All~


I am multi-tasking about 10 different orders right now - mostly gunner rehabs. This batch includes" Beans, McCormicks, Herters, Wildfowlers (Old Saybrook and Quogue), Ken Harris, Down East Sport Craft.








These are old Herter's Model 81s. They began life as Brant in the late 1960s. I replaced the factory heads with my own Pine Canada heads in the early 80s - and hunted them for many seasons, both on saltwater and on rivers hereabouts. I am rehabbing them for a customer. They have new plywood tail inserts (longer than the originals - which I think helps overall proportions); epoxy + Homer Coat skin; and will get flat keels (Mahogany with lead ballast). The original molded-in cast iron keels rusted and flaked from the salt; some had almost broken free of their foam surroundings. Prime coat is flat oil; topcoat will be Behr latex house paint.







This pair of Ken Harris (central New York State) Whistlers needed rhinoplasty. The Drake just needed everything glued back together; the Hen needed a new prosthesis.









New paint was restricted to the bills and heads.






This head is a bit of a whim. It is carved from an Al McCormick pattern (his No. 8). We will have a small tribute to Mr. Decoy at the March 7 Long Island Decoy Collectors Annual Show. As did Al, I began with Western Red Cedar.






I will be finishing it "bright" - probably with several coats of varnish after I sand it to a fare-thee-well. Instead of paint, I will suggest some of the details with burning.






More on the "Al McCormick Tribute Head" in a separate (later) post.


All the best,


SJS











Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

I prefer the lines of the brant heads painted as canada geese over the traditional Bean canada heads...better lines, particularly the bills.

 
Arrangement of watercolors on cardboard I have done for a good friend over the years.

His wife Linda does the mat & frame work. She does a very good job.

The wigeon pair is the painting I did, and posted last month.

There is much satisfaction knowing ones art work has a good home, and is appreciated.

VP
















"Art does not reproduce what is visible - but makes things visible." ~ Paul Klee, artist, 1920

Paisan, they look pretty snappy with their matting and framing!
george@runamuckdecoys.com

Ok, I hope the pics come out, because I am alllllll done.
Great project. thanks for the tips on this.

Sorryt, Mc~


No AFTER image....


Here's a Bluebill Sarcophagus From the Bench of George Williams:








George:


How many ounces (volume) do you need for a dog's ashes?


All the best,


SJS

Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Try now, I had to reformat

Gorgeous! Nice work, Young Man!


SJS
Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Nice job saving that old piece of history. Back in the 70?s my Dad tried a bolt action shotgun - a marlin goose gun 12 with a 36 inch barrel. I hope you take it and shoot it next season.


Great South Bay
West Sayville, N Y

I drooled over that gun back in the day. I know it well.

Wow, Vince.

I remember seeing all of those here on the forum over time. Especially loved that pheasant when you posted it.

Certainly gratifying to see that your art is being displayed so beautifully, and being appreciated and enjoyed by good folks.


MLBob

"Art is like an ill-trained Labrador retriever that drags you out into traffic." (Annie Dillard)

....Here's to Joe Wooster, who made me realize that the useful could and should be beautiful; and who firmly believed that decoy carvers were the last free men in America.

https://www.facebook.com/KOOIdecoy?ref=hl

Steve, if the piece is going to be taken to hunt over, I usually fill a snuff can and glue it into the bottom, OR, put a few tablespoonsful in a small zip lock and put it in, also. The object here is to keep the decoy stable with an attached keel. I have also put most of the ashes directly into the sarcophagus if it will remain on a shelf. The bluebill will hold most of the remains,
Man, that old Mossberg brings back memories from grad school. Loved that vari-choke!l--shot a lot of rabbit, squirrel and quail with that gun. Eventually traded it and a bit of cash for a used Ithaca model 37, first pump.
george@runamuckdecoys.com

Thanks, George~


Here is a pair of Al McCormicks. Both needed minor repairs (filling) to the bodies. One had never had eyes, the other had eyes that were broken or missing.






We (LI Decoy Collectors Ass'n) are presenting a small tribute to Mr. Decoy at our March 7 show in Hauppauge. In studying up, I was amazed at how many different head profiles Al made.






I am always drawn to his low-headed postures - trying to keep warm through Great South Bay Winters....






I keep my paint simple - but not compared with Al.





Only my Hens get to show their speculums (specula for you fellow Latin students). I fake the iridescence with 3 shades of purple.







All the best,


SJS





















Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Vince : Nice paintings, I never cease to be amazed by the posts on Duckboats of both decoy carvers and flat art painters.


Ken Zaborski

Wow those look great Steve!
I am planning to be at the LI decoy show on the 7th, See you there.

Vince,

You make the watercolor flat art look easy and beautiful, my first attempt at a watercolor decoy is decent to me but looks more acrylic-ish than watercolor, over Working the paint too much.

My wife wants to do watercolor so she picked up some supplies at hobby lobby today, so I tried my hand at it while she tried paining flowers. Oldest son was painting an assortment of stuff, the little one is already in bed.








Benjamin Pendleton
Northeast N.C.

Brian~


Excellent - see you soon!


SJS

Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Ben, self-criticism aside, your lines on this bird meld together quite well. Nice job!

Cans right now both cedar and cork...



Pat Gregory
Illinois Waterfowler and Decoy Maker
Duckboat Page Member since 2006

"And when a flock of bluebills, pitching pondward, tears the dark silk of heaven in one long rending nose-dive, you catch your breath at the sound, but there is nothing to see except stars. This same performance, in daytime, would have to be looked at, shot at, missed, and then hurriedly fitted with an alibi."
Aldo Leopold in Sand County Almanac

All~


Here is a nice old Wildfowler - from Old Saybrook I believe - re-painted for a friend. I love that head posture - have not been able to find another like it (in suitable worn-out condition.)







Here he is in full profile....






And on the shop floor. (No liquid water in any of the ponds hereabouts for "as hunted" photos.)






I matched him with my own birds - also older balsa Wildfowlers from either Old Saybrook or (mostly) Quogue. There are some Deluxe Oversize Beans and Herter's Model 72s in the photo, too.







All the best,


SJS



Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Good morning, All~


More From the Bench of George Williams.






He has identified these as "Park Ducks" - which I take to mean Mallids....






I believe this will become the Drake...






...and this the Hen.....






All the best,


SJS





Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Thanks, Steve. Gender shall be as the gentleman in Michigan requested. Will send you shot when that part is out of the way.
george@runamuckdecoys.com

Steve, WOW!

I knew you were the right guy to restore that mallard for me! He will rest proudly alongside his Old Saybrook brethren Pintail and Wigeon drakes on my shelf, but maybe I'll take him down to old saybrook next december to see to show him his home town and see if he has one more hunt left in him!

I'll shoot you an email shortly.

Thanks, Bill

All~


I just picked up an assortment of decoys from an old Long Island friend - whom I just discovered now lives about 20 minutes away. He wanted me to find new homes for them.


This pair of Canvasbacks was made by Jim Caramore - another old LI friend - in the 1980s. They now sport new Sanford clothing.....






Jim worked with Al McCormick (Mr. Decoy). Al made just a handful of Cans. Jim made these with a tail more like Al's Black Ducks - elevated and with an insert - whereas Al's Cans had fully-supported tails - like his Broadbill. But, these have McCormick-style flat keels and keel weights from Al's molds.






I put my stippling brushes to work - to try to get that "canvas-like" effect on their backs. Here's the Drake.






Here's the Hen's canvas back.....






Gorgeous profile! The bill's are polished with Satin Spar Varnish - as has become my custom.







Ready for their journey to Hauppauge next month. - just as soon as I re-install their keel ballast.







All the best,


SJS











Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Good morning, All~


Finally finished the Down East Sportcraft Black Duck - that needed both rhinoplasty and a new winter coat.


[Al Hansen and others - be sure to CLICK on images to enlarge!]







All done.






I love the head carving - amazing for its time: 1946 - 1950. Thus far, the new bill-head seam remains invisible. Time will tell.







Some wing details.






As much as I like this bird, he must draw a lot of water. The body is solid - either White Pine or Northern White Cedar, I believe - so I imagine about half the hull would be below the waterline. Would sure look nice on any shelf, though!









All the best,


SJS


Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com