The carving process begins with making a pattern of the particular species that I want to reproduce. After sketching my bird pose, I have an outline that I draw onto a piece of basswood. The bird is then cut out on a band saw and I have a two-dimensional bird to work from. I then use various cutting bits in a Fordom rotary grinder to rough shape the bird. After that, it's just a refining process until I'm ready to burn in the feather barbs with a wood-burning pen. This is the most time consuming part of the carving process but it brings the bird to life. When I feel the piece is ready, I begin my painting process with acrylic paints. I layer up several washes of paint to achieve the color that I want. The bird is then mounted on a piece of driftwood that I feel compliments the bird.
