Some local folks carved up the competition at the recent Reflections of Nature 2013 wildlife art competition, show and sale in Saskatoon.
Davidson wood carvers Eileen McRae and Jenny Scott and Austin Eade of Craik won awards at the annual show that showcases some of the best wildlife artists in western Canada.
The show is the largest in western Canada, so the quality of the carving is high and the competition stiff.
McRae won ribbons in the novice level for her elf owls carving which won first place for birds of prey class. Her morning dove won first place for the mid-sized birds class and the morning dove also won third place in the division.
She is particularly pleased that her Happy Bull won first place in the wildlife caricature category and then went on to win best in show.
McRae said when a show organizer first wrote down the name of the piece, he called it “Happy Cow”. She quickly corrected him. “Turn him over,” McRae told the man. “It’s not a cow.”
Scott brought home a first-place ribbon in the decorative miniature bird carvings division for her downy woodpecker, which took first place in the class and third in the division. Her kestrels won second in the birds of prey class for life-size bird carvings.
“Saskatoon has the toughest show going,” says Austin Eade, who has entered his carvings in shows across Canada.
He credits Saskatchewan’s long, cold winters for the prowess of the province’s wood carvers.
Eade enters his carvings in the open level, the toughest at the shows. Every minute detail is judged from the quills, feathers to barbettes. Every feature must be carved, including the branch or driftwood on which the bird is posed. Eade says the only allowance to this is the carvers may use glass eyes.
Eade’s pine grosbeak won second in the decorative life-size bird division in the songbirds class and third in the division. His Bairds sandpiper was first in its class and won second in the division.
He started carving birds almost seven years ago. He took classes to learn the craft. Eade says he only carves birds because that is what he started carving and has learned about bird anatomy.
He begins by sketching and creating his own patterns to get an attitude and habitat he likes. Then he gets ready to whittle.
He spends many, many hours on his carvings, which he enters in competitions throughout Canada.
“When you take all winter to carve something, you want to dig it out and show it,” Eade says.
He also judges competitions.
Carvings are judged on how closely the carving resembles the live bird. They also look at the presentation.
McRae said it can get pretty detailed.
“At the show they really will critique them. It can get down to them counting feathers on them,” she said.
To read more please see the November 18 print edition of The Davidson Leader.