START TO FINISH - SEAN SUTTON WOOD DUCKS

SEAN SUTTON IS AN IMMENSELY TALENTED AND POPULAR CARVER FROM PAULSBORO, NEW JERSEY. HE IS A FULL TIME DECOY MAKER AND HIS WORK IS MUCH IN DEMAND. HE MAKES A FULL-BODIED, HOLLOW WORKING STYLE DECOY WITH INFLUENCES FROM THE DELAWARE RIVER TRADITION. HIS WORK IS OFTEN FEATURED IN ROD TAYLOR'S FEATURE ARTICLES IN HUNTING AND FISHING COLLECTIBLES MAGAZINE CALLED "FRESH FROM THE BENCH". RECENTLY, SEAN SENT ME A SERIES OF PICTURES SHOWING THE MAKING OF A PAIR OF WOOD DUCKS FROM START TO FINISH AND WITH HIS PERMISSION, HERE THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT. FROM A SOLID BLOCK OF WHITE CEDAR, HE FASHIONS THE ROUGH OUTLINE WITH A HATCHET. THE BLOCK IS THEN HAND FINISHED, SAWED OPEN AND HOLLOWED. REATTACHED, IT IS THEN FINISHED WITH FEATHER CARVING DETAIL AND SANDING. FINALLY, IT IS PAINTED WITH OILS. I THINK YOU'LL AGREE THAT THE FINISHED PRODUCT SHOWS THE COMBINED SKILLS OF CARVING AND PAINTING THAT SEAN POSSESSES. IT'S EASY TO SEE WHY COLLECTORS LINE UP TO ACQUIRE HIS WORK.