More carvings can be seen on my facebook page http://facebook.com/tjsmithbirdcarver
"Plum Pretty" life size Western Tananger
My grandson, Declan told me that his favorite bird was the Western Tanager. I just had to carve one for his 16th birthday. Lucky for me, he has only turned 13 this year and I can keep this beauty for a couple more years. The mounting is from a Plum tree that is in our back yard.
"October Harvest" life size Canada Geese
The inspiration for "October Harvest" goes back to when I was 10 years old. My Uncle Ben Korn called my dad early on Saturday morning and told him that he had gotten a telegram from a goose, he said that the goose would meet us at the Walter's Ferry bridge that morning. Dad, who needed very little excuse to go hunting, took the bait and when we got to the bridge, sure enough, there was a wounded Canada Goose floating down the Snake River. Dad's dog, Vic, jumped from the bridge into the river, the ice was frozen out 10' from shore. Vic would lay the goose on the ice, break the ice so that he could make his way to the shore.
"Owyhee Gold" miniature Golden Eagle
The Golden eagle has always been one of my favorites, I have watched them in Owyhee county. The Peregrine Fund had an old Golden eagle named "One Eyed Jack" that I had taken my grandson to see years ago, he still talks about that trip.
They are so large and powerful. I also photographed the eagle that Morley Nelson had for my reference library.
"Humbolt Sink Avocets" American Avocets
This carving came about because of a trip that I had made to the Pacific Flyway Wildfowl Show in Sacramento, California a few years back. While traveling across the Humbolt Sink area of Nevada, I had a chance to view this mating stance of the Avocets. As soon as I got home, I started this carving.
"The Old Coot" life size American Coot
You might think that this is a strange bird to carve, in my career I have carved 5 American Coots. I must admit, I still own two of them.
"Old Glory" American Bald Eagle
This was a limited edition of the American Bald Eagle that I had carved for the sign for the studio.
The Frame ended up being 28" X 18" and 3" deep.
The Frame ended up being 28" X 18" and 3" deep.
"Old World Visitor" Eurasian Wigeon Drake
This carving was a commission for a collector of mine in Middleton, Idaho. I had told him of the Eurasian Wigeon drakes that I had spotted in Burns, Oregon, Ann Morrison Park in Boise, and on the Ducks Unlimited ponds near Great Falls, Montana. The choice piece of drift wood from below the Palisades Dam in Eastern Idaho.
"The Lookout" Sharp-shinned Hawk
Since I built my new studio in Nampa, I have had the pleasure to watch this bird hunt songbirds in my back yard. I had the opportunity to photograph him a number of times. The best of ;these times was when he spent about an hour devouring a American robin that he had caught. I shot up two rolls of 35MM film that day. He is always a treat to see, and often I find piles of feathers in my back yard and know that he had been visiting.
"ALPHA" Life size Gyrfalcon
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This was one of those projects that once I got it started, it seemed l could do nothing wrong! It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, you just have to go with it!
It started off with the base, I had spotted a 4x8 when I was dove hunting this fall, I could not get it off my mind, so I returned to t;he Payette River and looked at it again. It was trash, the whole back side was rotted away and useless for what I had wanted it for. On my way back to the car, I spotted the Locust gate post; it was the right size so I picked it up and took it home, now it has the greatest look as a dock piling. It was like this all the way through this carving. 28" tall - 12" wide - 8" deep SOLD |
This was a commission for a collector friend of mine from Huston, Texas. I started the pattern for this bird on March 18, and finished painting her on August 15, 2013. It is one of my favorite carvings! There is also a skull of a Wolverine on the back side of the rock.
Carving Number 1107 30" tall, 18" wide, and 14" deep. SOLD Columbia Flyway Wildlife Show 2013 1st Birds of Prey Best of Division Mayors Award Carvers Choice Award |
"Evening Shadows" Barn Owl
The inspiration for this sculpture comes from two people that have been my friends for most of my life. The first is Pete Lizaso, I first met Pete in high school and have hunted on his farm for over 30 years. He has a large concrete silo that has a barn owl in it every year. The second person is Bill Spear, a painting contractor that I sold paint to in the 1960"s. He had found a Barn Owl that had been killed on the road that goes by his home and gave me a call. I had the chance to photograph the bird and all of his feathers for reference.
I also have a album with photos from start to finish of this project.
26" tall - 22" wide - 17" deep
This is a one of a kind carving. SOLD
I also have a album with photos from start to finish of this project.
26" tall - 22" wide - 17" deep
This is a one of a kind carving. SOLD