Jim Podsiadlo,bird carver,screech owls

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Jim Podsiadlo
 
Mendon, MA 01756
   Tel. 508-634-3223

 

     Jim became a bird carver in 1992, concentrating mainly on birds of prey. He has mastered what is referred to as decorative style bird carving and has won numerous awards, including First in Category, First in Division, and Best in Show, in the prestigious Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition in Ocean City, MD.

     Many people ask how he became a bird carver. Jim’s wife Vivian and he have shared a love of birds for many years. They  participate in banding songbirds as they migrate each spring and fall. They have also spent a great deal of time  counting nesting raptors for the Cornell University School of Ornithology. This quality time, up close and personal, with various species of birds has given them the opportunity to gather a great deal of reference material from which Jim bases his bird carvings.  More recently, Jim and Vivian have taken up sea kayaking and Jim has since begun researching and carving both shore birds and sea birds.

The inspiration to do a particular piece usually comes from countless hours observing the subject in the wild. Great attention is paid to accuracy, as well as artistic presentation and each piece is a one of a kind, unique, work of art. Jim has studied with some of the world's best master bird carvers and continues refining his technique and style.

When Jim first became a bird carver he was carving his birds out of Basswood, but has since changed to using Tupelo Gum wood, from the bayous of Louisiana. The wood that he uses is actually from the part of the tree that grows below the water and is therefore extremely dense and uniform in grain. Each spring Jim drives south and returns with a load of wood from Curt's Waterfowl Corner. These large blocks need to be air-dried 4-5 years prior to carving in order to insure directional stability in the wood. By using Tupelo, Jim is able to carve the intricate detail, which is required to achieve the realism he demands in his artwork.  For the most realistic eyes Jim uses only those from Tohickon.

Jim has added a screech owl nest box camera to this site as he continues to gather in depth knowledge of their behavior in preparation for a future carving. Hope you enjoy the site.


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