Tupelo and acrylics

This is a smooth carving - no texturing whatsoever.
Some of the major feather groups have been carved in. All the effects were achieved with paint.
These types of carvings are generally mounted on dowels...this hearkens back to the days when shorebirds were legal to hunt, and these were decoys.
The "decoys" have evolved into deocorative pieces - still smooth, but with fancy paint.
I've chosen to mount my avocet on a piece of found driftwood, which signifies a beach or shoreline.

This carving was inspired by a photograph I had run across on the 'Net. The photo was of a sleeping avocet, but it had a high head...I just loved the expression of the bird in the photo and wanted to capture the "sweetness" I saw in that photo.
I love the lines of the avocet...they just seem to be created for artists, and I wanted a serene and sensual look to the carving...something to make people respond simultaneously with "Awwww", while wanting to touch.
This final pose with the head tucked tightly into the breast is the result of around 6 different patterns I drew.

THIS PIECE HAS WON THE FOLLOWING AWARDS:

Lake Erie Waterfowlers Festival - September, 2007
Third Best of Show, Gunning Shorebirds