“Hunter”
16”x20”
Oil on linen
Basset hound oil painting
“My Old Friend”
16”x20”
Oil on linen
This venture into painting began with some remedial painting exercises in color theory because I had intended to start a series of bird carvings and I felt that I needed some work in the area of color matching. And I wanted to learn more about brushes and brushwork because the fish are all painted with an airbrush. But things were going better than expected. I’ve tried in the past but it never ended well. But this time spent painting has been so enjoyable. I don’t want to stop at the end of the day and can’t wait to get started the next morning. I love sculpting and carving but there aren’t any limitations with painting. If I want to paint a bird flying or a fish swimming I can and the subject doesn’t have to be attached to anything. But there are so many good reasons to paint in place of wood carvings. Since I began taking art more seriously, there have been a series of events- one leading to the other. They’ve all been about timing, one building on the other. And if they happened any other way I wouldn’t be where I am today. Not saying I’m moving on from carving, I’m in the middle of a fish carving now. However, I don’t know where this is going but if painting satisfies what it is that makes me do this then I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up settling into painting most of the time.
This painting is a bit tighter than I wanted. I want my brushwork to be looser. But it’s not easy as I thought and I think that has to do in part with the realistic painted sculptures and drawings. It’s just the way I’ve always done things. But I’m learning to commit and have faith in those individual brush strokes and color value. That they blend without actually blending and that will enhance the realism. I’m excited to see where I’ll be a year from now…
It’s also very important when it comes to portraits that everything be as exact as possible with regards to proportion. We know our beloved pets so well and I would hate for a client to one day pass by their portrait and feel uneasy because something seems off. Using a proportional divider is just a tool to double check things, to ensure accuracy and frankly, moves things along more quickly. I could have laid out the drawing freehand or by using a grid. But I never liked using a grid because of all the lines you have to deal with. Which is a big deal when doing a drawing and it takes too long to transfer all those lines from the reference to the paper anyway. So I thought I’d try using a proportional divider for this portrait and it worked like it should. It’s spot on to my reference.
As soon as the painting dries I’ll have it scanned and prints available…
Always
"Always" Northern cardinal on Heavenly bamboo
Acrylic on Tupelo and brass
It was about 8 years ago when I started practicing carving. I say practice because you’re always learning and searching for that elusive harmony between a provoking composition and immaculate craftsmanship. It was also about 8 years ago that my dad started showing signs of dementia. He actually helped me on one of them, “Old Florida and Tailing Reds". He did the tramp art on the base. Two years after I started carving fish, I decided I wanted to try bird carving and at that time his mind was still sharp enough to identify birds. You see- he was an authority on birds and a highly sought after birding companion. I remember more than once when I was young, waking up and going into the living room only to find it filled with strangers in sleeping bags. They had all come to go birding with dad because somewhere in Florida a rare bird had allegedly been sighted and he was called upon to confirm the sighting. He’s been referenced in journals, articles and books for state records in Florida and has traveled throughout North and South America birding. So to have his knowledge of birds would have been invaluable. And he was never one to mince words when it came to critiquing my work (all work) for which I will always be grateful. As he became more and more demented- such a harsh word. I’ll, just say not quite with it- he began telling people, “My son is the best fish carver in the world!” I corrected him the first few times but when I saw that it didn’t matter or that he couldn’t remember I figured, if that’s what he thought then that’s ok. Anyway, I had decided that if I was going to carve birds then I had better draw a few first. At the time I hadn’t picked up a pencil to do any real drawing for over 20 years. Well one thing led to another and the next thing I knew I hadn’t done any carving for two years, I only drew. But if I hadn’t spent that time drawing my fish carvings wouldn’t be anywhere near what they are now. Because when I came back to carving and carved my first fish, I was looking at reference in a completely new way. I was seeing so much more detail and all of the shading with drawing helped with my painting.
Some of my favorite times birding with him were spent on the coast while the weather was cool and we’d scout for shorebirds where they are in abundance having migrated south for the winter. About a month before my dad passed away (still seems unlikely) he and I were able to get over to the coast one last time. And while he was tired and unable to recall the names of even the most common, he sure did enjoy his time away from the recliner he had begun to spend so much time in and for me one of the highlights of my life.
My first attempt at wildfowl carving is the Northern cardinal but it wasn’t necessarily my first choice. The reason, however; is because my good friend and very talented artist Josh Guge who is a world champion bird and fish carver sent me a study cast made from one his dad’s carvings. I met Josh in 2010 at the very first competition I had competed in where he was also a judge and gave a seminar on composition. His father Bob Guge had also recently passed away and he was also a world champion wildfowl carver. He was actually among a handful of extremely talented artists who back in the mid 80’s took bird carving to a whole new level of realism. Josh also sent me a book his father had written on carving the cardinal. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts I was finally able to carve and detail the bird but I wasn’t very happy with it. It was decent, but not like the fish carvings. But I wanted to finish and move on to the next so I started painting it. Working with an artist brush versus an airbrush which I use to paint fish are two completely different animals and while I was happy with my color matching things just weren’t going as well as they should be.
During all of this disgruntledness (unword) I would spend a lot time watching the bird feeder which has a steady stream of cardinals that come to visit. It was also about this time that I read a FB post (believe it or not) that talked about the cardinal and it lifted my spirits and attitude and among other things ended up being the inspiration for this piece. So I decided to start over, habitat and all. And when I say start over, I mean going back to the basics. Revisiting color theory, making color charts and rather than using the study cast to carve from I decided to start from scratch by sculpting in clay from my own observations, sketches and photos. I did use the study cast to get me past a sticking point here or there but I wanted the confidence in knowing that the anatomy is accurate from my own observations only. So it really was being used an "okay" it’s working. This process forced me to study bird anatomy in detail and was actual hands on learning anatomy. But the study cast and book were invaluable in that it gave me the confidence to say ok I can sculpt something that resembles a particular species of bird- that was the absolute first obstacle. Just like fish, it wasn’t until I started really studying fish anatomy and making my own patterns and paint schedules that my fish carvings got to the point where they are now. Early fish carvings were completed because even though I knew they weren’t where I wanted them to be I had to finish in order to learn. Now I have the luxury of being able to make mistakes and start over and only when I know the finished birds are at the level of the fish will I finish.
It is said that cardinals are visitors from heaven. That the cardinal represents a loved one who has passed and they have come back to visit and watch over you. Considering the very recent loss of my father, the fact that Josh’s father had recently passed and it just happened to be cardinal material Josh sent to me for study... Well it all breathed new life into an idea I was ready to abandon. In the end, there couldn’t have been a more appropriate species for my first bird carving. I have no regrets about not starting birds sooner... but, I sure wish dad could have seen just one.
My father... dad.
Always faithful
Always consistent
Always reliable
Always helped
Always available
Always around
Always there for us
Always friendly
Always a friend
Always open
Always cheerful
Always worked hard
Always a loving husband
Always a loving father
Always... dad
St. Augustine Nature and Wildlife Art Exhibition
Last year I was fortunate to have been recognized for my work on “Megalops” with the artistic merit award. This year they accepted “Rainbow Trout and Cairn Stones”. If you’re in the area of St. Augustine, FL stop by the gallery and see some beautiful wildlife artwork from local and international artists.
July 21- August 26
22 Marine St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 | 904.824.2310
GALLERY HOURS: Tue - Sat, 12 to 4pm; Sun, 2 to 5pm
Free Admission
Rainbow Trout & Cairn Stones
10 x 15 x 10
acrylic on tupelo
Best in Show- 2018 Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo & Competition
Good to be back home after spending the weekend in beautiful Punta Gorda, FL for one of the nation's premier wood art shows. Punta Gorda is a very pleasant place to visit, the venue is in a great location, right on the water and close to 500 entries.
This competition has been very good to me. It started in 2010 (my first art competition) which resulted in a Best in Show- Novice with "Old Florida and Tailing Reds". Then in 2011 a 1st place- Masters level with "Largemouth Bass and Crawfish". Then I took a few years off from sculpting to only draw but returned in 2016 with "The Grey Ghost" which won Best in Show- Masters. I missed the show last year but returned this year with "High Tide" and "Megalops" and placed 1st in two categories and "High Tide" was selected for 1st Best in Show- Masters and "Megalops" 2nd Best in Show- Masters.
1st Best in Show
Chad Turner- 2018 Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo & Competition
2nd Best in Show
Chad Turner- 2018 Florida Winter National Wood Art Exposition & Competition
Some of my favs and show winners...
Trout Collection (3D Illustration) The best thing about commissioned artwork.
When I was commissioned to carve these pieces, I was asked to include five trout species indigenous to different parts of the country as one piece for a hunting cabin located in upper Michigan. They would be installed in an area roughly 3’x4’ above the stair case landing which leads up to the cabin’s second story bedrooms and loft with a study that overlooks the stair case. This presented a challenge because not only did they need to be installed on a vertical wall they couldn’t share the same habitat.
So- it was carve five totally separate pieces with their own habitat which in my opinion would lose continuity being one piece and it would also present a problem with carving rocks, driftwood etc. Then try to make it so they would mount to a wall. That’s all been done before anyway. Realism can be mundane and can end up only being about technique which at its roots is what it is. “Wow! It’s so life-like” is a wonderful compliment; but for me it needs to be more than that. I want to hopefully evoke emotion and not tell a story that’s been told before. Not the easiest thing when you’re carving fish. Fish swim, eat, try to stay alive, and make baby fish. I don’t know the first thing about what makes art- art. When I look at a piece of art I feel it first, I don’t look for what it says, it’s all about how it makes me feel. And somehow I needed to include “that” part of myself and at the same time make it very personal to the clients. The part I love most about being commissioned for artwork is the relationship that is formed with the client. But client is too impersonal, it's friendship...
I had the pleasure of meeting Rich and Sue (wife and husband team) while they were on a fishing trip here in Florida. And through our conversations and correspondence and photos of fishing trips I sensed their open-mindedness and learned about their travels all across North America and love for fly fishing, and that they were not only avid anglers but basically naturalists and conservators of fisheries. The enthusiasm was very inspirational for me and I spent a lot of time just day dreaming about traveling and fly fishing in remote locations throughout this grand country of ours. I even watched one of my favorite movies, A River Runs Through It. Then while researching the various trout species it suddenly came to me.
I’ve always loved the illustration drawings and paintings you see in field guides and the illustrations of Audubon, Tomelleri… Prosek. And I’ve always wanted to try my hand at painting my own illustrations. So I thought- why not do 3D illustrations? It opened up all kinds of possibilities, even delving into mixed-media but mostly it allowed me to carve five separate trout species from different regions while maintaining continuity- biggest problem solved. Then the idea started snowballing and all things came together with the red, white and blue colors which were done in linen, denim (very American) and white-washed beadboard. A distressed pine frame and what I see as field notes written by hand in the title of each fish and there ya go.
Of course the whole piece is a reflection of me but I’m very happy knowing how pleased Sue and Rich are with not only the attention to detail, anatomy and craftsmanship but the thoughtfulness that went into the artwork in which they can see a reflection of themselves.
The "Grey Ghost of the Flats"
"The Grey Ghost"
Bonefish on "Bonefish Special"
-wood -acrylics
Not unlike the Redfish carving, this piece is another in a never ending series of saltwater gamefish carvings that I believe capture the essence of Florida fishing. In particular fly fishing the flats of Key West for Bonefish! The fly is based on the "Bonefish Special" fly and is carved from wood.
Bonefish are one of Florida's premier gamefish and are known as "grey ghosts of the flats" because they are stealthy, fast-swimming fish that are exciting and challenging to catch. South Florida is one of the few places in the United States where anglers have the unique opportunity to fish for bonefish and the shallow saltwater flats of the Florida Keys and Biscayne Bay are considered a world-class destination for catching large, trophy-sized bonefish.
A recent study by scientists at the University of Miami estimated the value of a single bonefish in the Florida Keys to be $3,500 each year. That's nearly $75,000 over the lifespan of the fish!
In June 2013 FWC Commissioners approved measures to make bonefish a catch-and-release only fishery.
Work in Progress (R. Causley project)
Patterns done and ready to start carving... Just add wood.
- Female Brook trout
- Female Brown trout
- Female Golden trout
- Female Rainbow trout
- Male Steelhead trout
Work in Progress (R. Causley project)
Start date- 12.8.14
Subject- fish -trout
Sculpture- wood carving
Medium- wood, canvas, linen, denim, metal, acrylics
Dimensions- TBD
Trout collection
- Brook trout
- Brown trout
- Rainbow trout
- Golden trout
- Steelhead trout
Work in Progress (whale fluke) →
“To hunt a species to extinction is not logical.”
I always liked this quote because he's not talking about ethical hunting. I believe it's about the remorseless who hunt to kill without prudence.
Available to purchase...
"Largemouth Bass And Crawfish"
This carving won two awards... 1st place Master's Division at the Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo and Competition and 2nd place to the Golden trout carving which won 1st place in the Open/Advanced division at the Ridge Woodcarvers Annual Show and Competition.
Read More
"Old Florida & Tailing Reds"
For this carving I wanted to capture the essence of old Key West, Hemingway. Redfish vary in color greatly, from being a very pale grey, to deep dark brown, yet still having a hint of red color. I chose the darker phase of color to coincide with the carved walnut water surface and the deep, dark coloring of the tramp art done in wenge. The over-sized, old tailing Red fin was carved from Mexican cedar for its golden color that is prominent in the reflection of the scales on a Redfish. My inspiration for the tail that supports the fish was imagining a world made of wood and is meant to represent an old Red who has had some repairs done to him over the years, perhaps by Gepetto himself but he is still tailing along.
Awards:
- 1st Place Open Advanced- Redfish- Ridge Woodcarvers 18th Annual Art of Woodcarving
- 1st Runner-up State Championship Advanced, Fish-Redfish-Indian River Woodcarvers 2nd Annual Art & Sculpture Show
- Best In Division Advanced, Aquatic- Redfish- Indian River Woodcarvers 2nd Annual Art & Sculpture Show
- Best In Show- Redfish- Treasure Coast Woodcarvers 26th Annual Show
- 1st Place, Fish- Redfish- Treasure Coast Woodcarvers 26th Annual Show
- Best In Show- Redfish- Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo & Competition
- 1st Place, Fish- Redfish- Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo & Competition
8" x 15" x 23"
-wood -acrylics