I create three distinctly different styles of birds. The first, called a "slick", has no carved feather details. The bird may be carved from solid mahogany or may use paint to provide some details. This is the least expensive type of carving. The second, "semi-detailed", has most or all of the feather groups carved out such as the mantle, coverts, secondaries, primaries and tail feathers. Individual feathers are not carved but may be painted in. This style of bird may also be carved in mahogany. The final style, the fully detailed carving, is the style that most of my birds are carved in. All feathers are fully carved, and include such realistic details as feather splits, water drops, fluffing, matting,etc. This is the most time consuming type of carving, and consequently, the most expensive.
Carving a bird sculpture requires study of the bird in its habitat, its poses and its coloration during different seasons and phases of its life. I have set up several feeding and watering stations on our property to observe and photograph song birds. I also live within easy driving range of the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, Big Cypress Preserve and the Atlantic ocean. I also frequently visit the Eastern Shore of Virginia, a major stop in the East Coast flyway. I might shoot several rolls of film, using a telephoto, on one bird alone. These photos are then combined with anatomical measured drawings to provide sketches of the subject. I then prepare a pattern using either paper, clay or Basswood, depending on the complexity of the pose.
The CarvingMy birds are carved from hardwoods, usually Tupelo which grows in swamps from North Florida to Louisiana. Only the portion that grows below the water is used for carving, because of the interlocking grain found there. This interlocking grain allows many types of birds to be carved from a single piece of wood and not be susceptable to shearing off of the beak or tail. Occasionally, if the bird has no thin parts and does not require detailed carving, I will use Basswood. For an unpainted bird, my preference is Florida (cuban) Mahogany, the strongest and prettiest of the Mahoganies. The bird is intially roughed out with a bandsaw and then carving knife. Details, such as individual feathers are carved with a powered rotary carver, not unlike a dentist drill. I use diamond and ruby tipped bits. I always carve details of the head with a carving knife. Individual feather quills and barbs (approximately 60 lines per inch), are burned in using a razor sharp variable temperature burning tool. The eyes are glass and I hand paint the backs of them. Feet are made from copper wire and tubing soldered together and covered with carvable epoxy. The birds are then sealed and painted with gesso.
The PaintingThis is often the most difficult stage for most carvers, but I have had the advantage of an in-house expert as a mentor (My wife is an accomplished oil and acrylic painter), so painting has now become one of my favorite parts of the process.(though, nothing beats seeing the bird's face emerge from the wood) I utilize an acrylic wash method - that is very thin, transparent layers applied by dappling several variations of the same color at the same time over a section of the body. This is repeated until the color is just right and there is an appearance of depth to the feathers. This method will never fill the fine detail lines of the feathers with too much paint. On most birds, matte paint is used except for the legs and beaks which have a leathery look. Some birds, such as an ibis or waterfowl have oil glands which provide a sheen to the feathers. Interference or iridescence is added to the paints to obtain this effect.
The SettingThe birds are set on a piece of burl, driftwood or hardwood branch attached to a hardwood base. If no suitable branch can be found, I carve one. Leaves are made of sheet copper and wire, painted with acrylics. Soil, if used, is made of acrylic medium mixed with sand applied to textured auto body fill. Shells, rocks, etc are carved from wood.
William Carr is an accomplished and acclaimed woodcarver and woodturner, whose work is in private and public collections throughout the United States and Europe. His turnings encompass bowls, vessels and shapes made primarily of South Florida woods(which are similiar to woods of the tropical rain forest). After turning, the vessels are hand carved to reflect the enviornment the wood was taken from. Intricate designs of branches, leaves and vines are commonly used as are local aquatic scenes. The wood's grain and colors are incorporated into the design of the bowl.
Mr Carr's carvings are exclusively birds, and over the last ten years he has carved many of North America's wading and song birds. He has also recently been carving ducks, game birds and shore birds. Preparation for a carving involves lengthy photographing of a subject and studying the bird's movement to obtain a lifelike pose that gives the bird a sense of movement. The birds are painted with acrylic paints and each pose is an original piece of art.
Although Mr Carr began woodworking at an early age, he only began selling his work in 1990. Since that time, he has displayed his work at art shows throughout Florida and in numerous art galleries along the east coast of the United States. Over the years, his work has won many awards at prestigious art shows.
When Mr Carr is not creating and exhibiting his wood sculptures, he is working in the family business, building custom furniture and restoring antiques with his wife and partner, Helen.
Mr Carr is a graduate of the University of Virginia and a Certified Public Accountant.