Jack and I share a strong interest in the longleaf system. He does wonderful bird carvings and I thought I would share them with you. To actually see the carvings click on the link below.
ABOUT MY CARVINGS
To date, all of my bird carvings have been limited to quail and I’m often asked how I started carving. The truth is that both my carving and carving quail specifically started about four years ago somewhat by accident. My brother is affiliated with an organization that owns a former quail hunting plantation in South Georgia and because he and his boss occasionally invited me to help them harvest white-tailed deer on the property, I decided to carve them each a quail. Never having carved before but having enjoyed painting for most of my life, I was sure I could carve something sufficiently acceptable. As others saw my work, I began getting requests for quail carvings which is now my passion.
What I learned in this process may be stating the obvious but to achieve a realistic representation of a bird in wood, one must thoroughly study and learn about the bird itself, its habitat, and its habits. This has led to an interest in one of natures real wonders, the longleaf pine forest ecosystem. Perhaps this is the most gratifying experience of my endeavors.
My birds are carved from tupelo wood, feathers are made by a process of either burning or “stoning” which gives the feathers a softer appearance, and all birds are hand painted. Some birds have as many as 100 individually carved feathers and can take in excess of 200 hours to carve which means I typically don’t have much inventory. My bases are constructed from heart pine and settings are made from materials native to quail habitat. Each piece is numbered and named and bears a hand engraved brass plaque. My goal is to produce a carved representation in wood of what one might observe in nature.
I wish to thank Beth Maynor Young, an incredible conservation wildlife photographer who produced the photographs in this book and encouraged my efforts. These and other photos can be viewed on her website. I also wish to thank my brother, Lee and the staff at the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, particularly Jimmy Atkinson, Bobby Bass, Mark Melvin, Scott Smith and Jonathan Stober for tutoring me and critiquing my work. I would also like to thank some of my patrons including Charley Tarver, Dave Jollay, Bob Buisson, Drs. David Allen and John Bruce and W. R. “Mr. Bill” Ireland.
For inquires about my carvings, please contact me at (205) 222-5472.
www.kingfishereditions.com/galleries/Jack_Tribble