Incoming Flight

mik1947 · #1 03-25-2006, 12:43 PM

This is another stylized piece I've just completed. I've tried to capture some of the various flight attitudes that decoying ducks can present to a hunter in the blind. As always, the forum's critique will be greatly appreciated

as I continue to stretch my abilities and creativity.
Mike

Krum · #2 03-26-2006, 10:13 AM

Hey that's pretty neat!

Nice contour of the pieces. Thanks for sharing.
Krum

Tom H · #3 03-26-2006, 10:45 AM

Mike, I think the stylized (sp?) carving of wood brings out the natural beauty of the wood. I think your piece is a very good example of this. Great job. Tom H

Mottles · #4 03-26-2006, 12:07 PM

Mike, no critique here just praise for a really nice work. I LIKE IT!
Kathy

whitecree · #5 03-26-2006, 01:37 PM

I think you've captured the wing motions pretty accurately. About the only improvement I can think of is modifying the head/neck positions slightly. If you can find some slow motion footage of larger birds in flight, you can see where on a wing's upstroke, the head and neck dip slightly, and the reverse when the wing is on the downstroke.

Or maybe it is just the camera angle, and I'm not seeing it.

But nice work! I love the way you brought the grain out.

Dylan · #6 03-27-2006, 10:21 AM

Great looking piece Mike.

Dylan

mik1947 · #7 03-29-2006, 07:24 PM

Thanks for the feedback, folks. I really appreciate your comments.

Whitecree - your suggestion is a great one! The necks were all short and a little length and repositioning would probably add a lot to the piece.

Mike

whitecree · #8 03-30-2006, 12:02 PM

I'm glad you take criticism well. I really, really hate to criticise anybody's work.

One fella went ballistic on me for ...

No, the memory is too painful yet.

Bigredcarver · #9 03-30-2006, 05:04 PM

I think it's a very nice piece!

The concept of actually finishing a carving..you know adding a base and wires to make it appear "finished" --thats a new concept for me....

One of the hardest things for me is letting myself say something is finished..ready for paint or stain...

mik1947 · #10 04-01-2006, 12:33 PM

Whitecree - If I can't look for ways to improve what I do, then I soon lose interest.

Thanks again for being willing to share your opinion!

Tom - I find that finishing is one of the most thought-provoking

elements of carving. It's also the part that can really show off the work at it's best. For this piece, I tried several mounting options before I settled on the wires. The wires allowed me more freedom to pose the individual birds.

Mike