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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, May 31. 1989 3 Local Decoy Carvers Earn First Place Finish Trillium, Thinks It is a Four Leaf Clover by Andrea Adair In a studio overlooking Lake Ontario, Frank and Isabelle Isabelle Hedges have found the perfect atmosphere in which to work on their art. The Wilmot Creek couple are award-winning wood carvers. And they are the first to tell you that decoys such as the ones they create aren't just for hunters anymore. anymore. Mr. Hedges explained that wildlife wood carving began with decoys to assist hunters. But it has evolved over the years into a popular and beautiful art form in Canada and around the world. The Hodges meet many Canadian carvers in the five or six carving competitions they annually enter. Working as a team, he attends attends to the wood carving while she paints. The results results are beautiful, realistic, award winning sculptures of wildfowl. This past March, their sculpture of the common Merganser drake earned a first place at the International International Sportsmen's Show in Toronto. The same carving placed second in the intermediate species category in the Ward Foundation World Championship Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition in April. Placing in the world competition competition was quite an honour for the couple, as Mr. Hedges Hedges remarked: "Some people spend a lifetime trying to get a ribbon down there." The competition is fierce, with some of the best carvers carvers irt the world hoping to finish in one of the categories. categories. This year, more than 900 carvers entered 2,185 wildfowl wildfowl carvings in the annual event in Salisbury, Maryland. Maryland. Mrs. Hedges explained that the Ward Foundation competition is the most prestigious prestigious competition in North America, adding that winning there was something something to be proud of. The Ward Foundation buys the carvings of the top winners each year and dis- ^ the sculptures in the 1 Museum of Wildfowl Art at Salisbury State University. University. This is the third time the couple has entered work in the Ward competition, having having won in the novice category category last year. The Hedges have been entering their work in competitions competitions for the past three years but their interst in wood carving began over five years ago. Mr. Hedges was an electrician electrician by trade yet he and his wife also made replicas of antique furniture. He used to make the furniture while she painted the objects objects in folk art designs. When he was no longer able to build the large furniture, Mr. Hedges turned to wood carving. He and his wife attend seminars on carving and painting to keep learning about their craft and they belong to the Birdseye Centre Centre Carving Club in Port Perry. Mrs. Hedges said that wood carving is growing in Canada and many Canadi- ■ ans are winning at the competitions competitions they attend. "There is quite an interest interest in wildlife art and carvings," carvings," she states, remarking that "I think as more things get computerized, the more people want to go back to hand crafts." "The demand for carvings and the prices people are getting for the work is incredible," incredible," Mr. Hedges echoed. As an example, they menue menue jay (K ft " CASH DISCOUNTS OFt LOW RATE FINANCING 10.9% FINANCING ON 600-800- 1900 SERIES LAWN AND GARDEN TRACTORS 9.9% FINANCING ON COMPACT DIESELS 5215, 5220,5230 TREWIN FARM EQUIPMENT BLACKSTOCK 986-4283 DEUTZ ALLIS HAY DEMO DAY Thursday, June 8,1989 (Or first day weather permits) NELSON READER FARM 1 Mile East of Port Perry, Hwy. 7A Please phone for confirmation -- 986-4283 See how we make hay faster. Rotary rakes and tedders minimize leaf loss and help you beat the weather Disc mower conditioners allow you to cut faster without plugging, and they feature gentle conditioning conditioning Round balers produce a firm outer shell for excellent weathering and a variable density core for the best curing and highest quality hay. Trewin Farm Equipment Blackstock DEUTZ ALLIS m< rty llf /"'•A' WS&bfSüïri I IA £L. ZjJ&œm&M&r ■' - • ,7 tion a carving of a blu they donated to the conservation conservation group Ducks Unlimited Unlimited for their fund raising work last year. The carving alone raised $600 for the group, Mr. Hedges said, adding that some carvings sell for higher than that. The wooden carvings cost so much because there .is a lot of work involved in trying trying to duplicate living birds. The Hedges have been- given a number of ducks that have been stuffed and mounted so they can see first hand the appearance of the birds' feathers and the exact markings and colours of the bird in nature. A carver, Mr. Hedges explained, explained, tries to establish a realness about his work in making the sculpture appear appear genuine in colour and in size. The duck carvings, judged as decoys, are placed in a tank to see if they will float. Sometimes, Mr. Hedges said, weight has to be either added or subtracted to the carving to ensure it floats at the proper level. He works with basswood North of Haydon, Babette Roth and her husband, John, live amongst the beauty of hundreds of trilli- ums. While walking through the woods recently, Mrs. Roth discovered a rare four-leaf trillium (inset) sprouting up among the traditional three-leaf types. Comb Celebrate our 1 2 th Anniversary Isabelle and Frank Hedges, as a wood carving team, create beautiful awardwinning awardwinning pieces. They returned home from a world competition in Maryland, in April with a second place ribbon. Mrs. Hedges is shown here holding their carving of the common Merganser drake that earned the ribbon. Mr. Hedges is holding a stuffed merganser that the couple used as a guide for their work. or, when he wants a wood with very little grain that is very light he will use tupelo, a wood coming from the Louisiana swamps. In their studio overlooking overlooking the lake, Mr. and Mrs Hedges have set up a telescope telescope providing them with a front row seat to watch the birds that come to the water. water. Their hobby has become quite extensive, Mr. Hedges says, joking that "the deeper you get, you realize how little little you know." Mrs. Hedges agreed. "About six years ago, I thought a duck was a duck," but she thinks a little differently differently now. She can tell you there are many different types of ducks that are members of one of two groups of ducks (divers and puadlers) and that the male and the females females of the various species are coloured differently. Mr. and Mrs. Hedges say they will continue to learn more about their craft while! at' the same ! time further! honing their skills. Mr. Hédges' adds that -he- has a secret ambition to carve one . of the most maligned birds in Ontario. "My ambition is to someday someday carve an open winged seagull," he concluded. The block of wood destined destined for this carving sits, right now, in the corner of the Hedges studio. The Canadian Statesman Advertising Deadlines Display Tues. 12 Noon Classified Mon. 4:30 p.m. Recycling is Smart: Do Your Parti k/edd'nÿ !yrtfo bride md^rooin - Bridal Registry - Attendants' Gifts - A fine selection of distinctive gifts ...crystal, china, music boxes, glass, clocks, quilts, lace pillows ...and many other precious keepsakes to choose from. 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