Don Hovie
California-based wildlife artist Don Hovie (1937–2026) began carving birds at the age of 10, after reading an article in Sports Afield about a carver named John Lacy. He went on to make a life's work of keeping the fine craft of waterfowl decoy carving alive, and continued carving well into his eighties, up until the end of his life.
He used traditional methods, starting with a raw block of wood that he shaped entirely by hand with steel tools, so each sculpture is one of a kind. His carvings stand out for their anatomical precision, realistic textures, and lifelike postures. Feathers are carved with painstaking care, and each bird is finished with hand-painted detail meant to capture something of the bird’s living presence.
This decorative version of a classic pickleweed decoy, also known as a stick-up, of a gadwall (Mareca striper) is notable for its expressive naturalism. True to its heritage, the head lifts free from the wooden base , just as a working decoy would be pulled and set among the marsh plants.
Made in 2007
Full Size on wood base
5.5" x 3.5" x 8.5" (Not including base)
Featured Works
2009
7" diam. x 11 H"
The Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis) is strikingly colored raptor is found from the American Southwest through Mexico, Central America, and South America. The falcon is depicted perched on a rock outcrop with a prickly pear cactus nearby, both hand-carved from wood and finished with fine texturing to capture its desert home.
The Baikal Teal (Sibirionetta formosa) is native to Eastern Asia. A rare departure from the North American waterfowl Don Hovie was best known for, the carving captures the beauty of the bird, presented standing on a carved wooden base with grass details.
2007
Fulll Size
12.5" x 9" x 11.5"