Selling and buying quality decoys from the Chesapeake Bay, Chincoteague Virginia , Maryland and Virginia's Eastern Shore. Makers such as: Justis,Chesser,Kralic,Piccirillo,Lawson,Birch,Mitchell, Tyler, Ward, Hancock, Hudson, McNair, Daisey, Cobb,Joiner,Gibson,Gibian and others.
Art Raine Phone 443-614-6015
Delbert "Cigar" Daisey shares his "Best Goose I Ever Made"
This goose was carved and painted in 1970 for the first Ward World Championship
held in Salisbury, MD 1971. Note the two winning ribbons from 1971. Blue,"Best In Category" and Red, " Second Overall Show". This bird was sold to the Dupont's in July 1971.
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Ira Skees shares his Yellowlegs in Westlake, OH.
Delbert "Cigar" Daisey
Cigar admires his black duck (made 1990's) .
42nd Upper Bay Decoy Show , Charlestown, Maryland
Early October Teal season on the lower shore of Maryland
Ronald Justis of Chincoteague, Island VA. He learned to make decoys by spending hours and years in "Cigar" Daisey's shop. A native Chincoteaguer, Ronald represents the next generation of island carvers. |
Reggie Birch stopped by to visit and admire his Merganser pair made in 1982. Reggie spent a lot of time back in the 1970's and early 80's learning from Delbert "Cigar" Daisey.
Mark McNair in his studio with the pattern for his "Walter Brady" style goose.
Mark McNair in his shop working on a shorebird.
Mark McNairand his Egret made for Raine's Tavern.
Wes Bratcher of Crisfield, MD and avid turkey hunter and decoy carver. Wes has won numerous awards at the Ward Worlds in Ocean City, MD as well as the Ward Chesapeake Challenge Shooting Decoy Contest in Salisbury, MD. Wes's maternal grand father , Marshall English brought the first three tractor trailer loads of balsa wood to Steve and Lem Ward in the 1940's as told to Wes by Steve Ward ..One of the great modern Chincoteague carvers.Reggie Birch has been carving decoys for almost 30 years. He is nationally known for his ability to make a brand new decoy look 100 years old.
The Birch family can trace their roots in America to 1763. This is the year they were aboard the ship "Miss Kitty" when she wrecked on Assateague Island. The community of North Beach was on Assateague near the present Md/Va line. North Beach had a saltworks andrendered sea salt. Today there is no evidence of the North Beach Community.
Brian Picirrillo painting a black duck and "Bud" "working on a goose".
Mark McNair in his shop proudly sharing some of his older sculptures.
Rich Smoker |
Smoker felt that these birds would work well together because they were all connected by the color red. They are birds he sees at home on the Annamessic River, and he began with one photo of a pair of red-breasted mergansers. They took 4 to 5 months to carve and about a month to paint. The birds are carved of Tupelo, with some American Holly used for structure. The feet, bills, and tails contain some brass for strength. The keels are carved of Paudak, an African wood. The birds are painted with oil paint. |
The bases are masterworks of carving as well, and they used many types of wood from around the world; the keel guides are Purple Heart from Central America. The tops of the bases are heart from Central America, Mahogany from Asia, Yellow Heart from South America, and American walnut from North America. Smoker calls the selection “woods of the world.”
Rich faced a special challenge in carving this rig. He began the project while his mother was ill in 2007, and finished them after her death earlier this year. |
Grayson Chesser at his Holden Creek Hunting Lodge
Oliver Lawson displays a pair of his gunning pintails in Crisfield, MD 2008.
Vice President and Bob Jester Share the Decoys Art and Oliver Lawson
