ronsmithcarver@webtv.net
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Northern Michigan artist Ron Smith carves birds in his home studio set in a 70-acre woods on a tributary of the Thunder Bay River. From his window he can observe living models for his work: cardinals making brilliant splashes of color against the evergreens; ruffed grouse and wild turkeys feeding on the deck; downy and hairy woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and goldfinches flocking to the bags of suet and various sunflower feeders which hang from the trees. |
| Inside the house, birds perch in niches in the cedar-paneled walls. These wild birds never fly away. They are carved true-to-life from basswood and painted in oils. They look as life-like as the ones outside. |
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In over 30 years Smith has carved over 200 species for collectors in 40 states. One unique aspect of his carvings is the exclusive use of hand tools; the adz and a variety of knives. Another is the life long love for birds, from his father's early teaching about these miraculous creatures in the countryside of Plymouth, Michigan, to current trips around the United States to see and study birds with his wife Sharron. |
| Some say the painting is the key to Smith's style. As one art critic said in a review of a museum show, "Smith's palette is as suited to following the nearly monochromatic color of the mourning dove as it is the variety of pastel tinges of the American Woodcock. It devotes itself with as much care to the ostentatious hue of the indigo bunting as it does to the intricate banding and streaking of the ruffed grouse." |
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With 9700 species
in the world, the choice for a commission may be difficult, but Smith always
has a want-to-do list if you cannot decide.
Summer: 6690 Ratz Road
Winter: 100 W. Moore Rd., #24 Pharr, TX 78577 956-781-4542 Visitors are welcome Photos by Richard Boyce, Sharron Smith, Rod Planck and Elbert Heath Ron's Email Address:
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Northern Michigan Birding
