News
LOCAL CARVER FEATURED IN NORTH CAROLINA SHOW
Noted Dorchester County waterfowl carver Warren Saunders was the
Featured Carver for the Catawba Valley Woodcarvers Club 8th Annual
2009 Woodcarving Competition and Exhibition in conjunction with
Klingspor's Woodworking Shop Extravaganza held at the Hickory Metro
Convention Center in Hickory, North Carolina.
Among all of the latest wood carving tools,
Warren demonstrated chopping out a decoy using a hatchet. Always being
the teacher, he would use fellow carvers power tools to demonstrate
techniques for some of the finer points of carving.
"The Hickory show is a real woodworking show with 33 categories
and 515 competition entries from feathered, fins, and fur animals, to
comical hillbillies and Santa, to walking sticks and wood spirits and anything else that can be carved. More then 6000 people visited the show Friday and Saturday.
I judged in the feathered categories with Jim Carpenter who taught
at the John C Campbell Folk Art School in the Smokey Mountains.
It was a good experience to have this in conjunction with the
Klingspor Woodworking Show, where every wood working tool was shown and demonstrated," said Mr. Saunders.
Guess who's in May's issue of Smithonian Magazine? Yep! Here is the link and you can click on his small thumbnail to see the larger photo.
EASTERN SHORE WATERFOWL CARVER INVITED TO CAPITAL HILL
Acclaimed Dorchester County Waterfowl Carver, Warren Saunders, Jr., was invited to Capitol Hill for the 'Welcome Back' Reception for members of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus hosted by The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. The event was attended by over 120 leaders of major conservation organizations, corporate partners and congressmen. "How's your hunting season?" is probably not a question frequently asked in the halls of Congress-but neither is a hatchet and knife carrying guest usually asked into the halls of Congress.
Saunders said,"The Capital Police had called me a week before and asked if I really had to bring a hatchet. I told them yes and I also had to bring really sharp knives, or I couldn't demonstrate chopping out a decoy body and carving a head. The man called me back with specific directions for security and said everyone had been alerted to my arrival."
"When my wife and I arrived at the first security point, they brought out the bomb detection dog. I thought he would never clear the truck and finally the handler asked if I hunted allot, because his dog was showing such a high interest in the vehicle." Saunders responded,"I hunt almost everyday." The handler said that explained his dog's interest because of gun powder residue on guns, clothes, boots and tires.
"After the hydraulic barriers were down we proceeded to the second security point and docked the truck into a bay. Two Capital Police helped unload the decoys and demonstration supplies onto a flatbed carrier and then examined the hatchet and knives. They escorted us with constant radio contact to security saying 'The hatchet man is approaching the reception area. And what a wonderful Reception; great conversation and 'wild' food."
The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation is the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization in the political arena. CSF President Jeff Crane and a score of selected wildlife and conservation groups were invited to meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee on February 13th to discuss sportsmen's issues. The invitation called for an exchange of ideas on preserving our fish and wildlife habitats and outdoor heritage. www.sportmenslink.org
"Among some of the folks I met were Don Young, the Executive Vice-President of Ducks Unlimited and Bob Model, the President of Boon and Crockett and U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who had been running for President. It was an honor to be invited. And as I was escorted out of the building the last radio message I heard was, 'The Hatchet Man is leaving the building." www.saundersdecoys.com
The Dorchester Arts Center started a new program, "Traditional Folk Art: Decoy Carving' at North Dorchester High School. Through a grant awarded by the Local Management Board of the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area, high school students are learning to carve a Canvasback Drake Decoy under the direction of nationally acclaimed waterfowl carver Warren Saunders.
The project is designed to give young people the hands-on experience of creating three dimentional folk art while promoting an appreciation and awareness of the rich historical heritage of Dorchester County. High school students are learning to carve and paint a decoy during the Crafts 11 class.
(Taken from The Daily Banner, February 15, 2007)
Warren Saunders,an award winning carver from Dorchester County, was elected to the Board of Directors of the prestigious Harve de Grace Decoy Museum. Harve de Grace Maryland is recognized as the Decoy Capitol of the World.(2006)
Warren Saunders taught The Pilot Program for The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art at Salisbury University. Twenty-five Mardela High School students carved and 3/4 size canvasback drakes. May 8th, 9th,and 10th 2006.
Arline Chase of WriteWords Inc. called Saunders to get a photograph of a hanging dead duck. She wanted to use it on the cover of a new book by Author Helen Chappell called DEAD DUCK, www.cambridgebooks.us . It is a story of murder and mystery that takes place at the Eastern Shore Decoy Jamboree in Easton. Saunders hanging decoyappears as a shot duck falling out of the sky. "So my hanging Canvasback really did get to fly over water and get shot down. It's right there on the cover of the book," said Saunders, who delighted in the idea.
Hanging Canvasback can be seen on Album page.
Warren Saunders is The Grand National Carver of the Year 2005.
His carving was unveiled at the Cambridge Yacht Club in October. The Grand National Waterfowl Hunt Award for Top Gun was presented in November.
EVENTS 2010 Look for Warren At:
The National Outdoor Show
Golden Hill, Md
February 26th and 27th
White Stone Wildlife Art Show
White Stone , Va
March 19th thru 21th
Harve de Grace Decoy & Wildlife Festival
Harve de Grace, Md
April 30th thru May 2nd Judge & Competitor
Potomac Wildlife Art Show and Auction
Southern Maryland Community College
LaPlata,Md
May 14th and 15th,
Apple Scapple
Bridgeville, De
October 8th and 9th TBA
Chestertown Wildlife Exhibition and Sale
Chestertown, Md
October 15th and 16th
Catawba Valley Woodcarvers Club
Warren Saunders Featured Carver (also Judge)
Hickory Metro Convention Center
Hickory,NC
October 29th and 30th
Waterfowl Festival
(Elementary School Building)
Easton, MD
November 12th and 14th
Corr Sound Wildlife Festival
Harker's Island, NC
December 4th and 5th
Classes 2010
Dorchester Art Center
Cambridge, Md
January
Chestertown,
Maryland
April
Dorchester Art Center
Cambridge, Md
October contact Susan Luzar 410-228-7782
EVENTS 2009 Look for Warren At:
The Winyah Bay Heritage Festival
Georgetown, South Carolina
January 17th, 18th
The National Outdoor Show
Golden Hill, Md
February 27th, 28th
White Stone Wildlife Art Show
White Stone , Va
March 20th, 22th
Patuxent Wildlife Art Show
Laurel, Md
March 27th and 28th
Harve de Grace Decoy & Wildlife Festival
Harve de Grace, Md
May 1st-3rd Judge & Competitor
Potomac Wildlife Art Show and Auction
Southern Maryland Community College
LaPlata,Md
May 15th and 16th,
Snow Hill Art Show
Adcok Studio
July 3th
Mardela Days Old Fashion 4th
Mardela, Md
July 4th
Apple Scapple
Bridgeville, De
October 9th and 10th
Chestertown Wildlife Exhibition and Sale
Chestertown, Md
October 16th & 17th
Catawba Valley Woodcarvers Club
Warren Saunders Featured Carver (also Judge)
Hickory Metro Convention Center
Hickory,NC
October 30th and 31st
Waterfowl Festival
(Elementary School Building)
Easton, MD
November 13th- 15th
Corr Sound Wildlife Festival
Harker's Island, NC
December 5th and 6th
Classes 2009
Dorchester Historical Society
Cambridge, Md
Canvasback Drake
Chestertown,
Maryland
March 14th & 15th
Bufflehead Drake
Dorchester Art Center
Cambridge, Md
October 15th-till
Canvasback Drake & Green Herring
Please notify Warren if you are interested in joining a class,or have
suggestions for a class. Send in your name using the contact page
and you will be called for upcoming classes.
Contact Warren for directions to any events.
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Copyright © 2005 Saunders Decoys. All Rights Reserved.
