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• Bird Decoys of North America: Nature, History, and Art-NS

  $40.00 $24.00 0 review(s)

  
  

  Bird decoys, which were first fashioned by Native American hunter-artists at least 1,500 years ago, are the only major folk art form to originate in North America. Today, decoys made during the heyday of decoy carving--roughly from 1840 to 1950--rank among the most avidly sought of all folk art collectibles, with some rare and outstanding examples fetching upwards of $8000,000 apiece at auction. These humble hunting tools, intended to deceive wildfowl by luring them into shooters' range, are now appreciated on many levels: as compelling works of sculpture, as exacting portraits of living and extinct species, and as irreplaceable historical objects. Successful decoy carvers of the past knew their prey intimately--spending countless hours observing game birds in the wild and then bringing their accumulated knowledge of different species' appearance and behavior to the carving bench. Because the works these artisans created were meant to attract avian eyes--conveying the essence of a bird's plumage, form, and attitude at a glance--older handmade decoys are deeply observed symbols of living birds that no merely decorative object, no matter how photographically accurate, can match. In this definitive, lavishly illustrated work, folk-art expert Robert Shaw chronicles the now-vanished era in which the great decoy makers pursued their craft. Shaw traces the natural history of North American bird species--more than sixty of which are represented in antique decoys. He relates the history of wildfowl hunting on this continent, detailing the excesses of nineteenth-century commercial hunting and the rise of a conservation movement aimed at ensuring bird species' long-term survival. He examines the distinctive forms produced in each major hunting area, from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Chesapeake Bay to the bayous of Louisiana and beyond. And, with a storyteller's gift for the entertaining anecdote, Shaw puts us in touch with the lives and circumstances of the decoy makers themselves.

• THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED G/T FINISHING (PB)

  $27.95 $16.77 0 review(s)

  
  

  This is part of Taunton's "Complete Illustrated Guide" series. Jewitt provides in-depth coverage of tools and materials and covers all of the key processes from surface preparation to color matching. There are sections that cover advanced techniques such as adjusting color, disguising defects, toning, glazing, spray finishing and rubbing out. This is a complete look at finishing, from storing finishing materials to using various types of end coats.

• HARDWOOD FLOORS:BOOK- LAYING, SANDING AND FINISHING.

  $19.95 $11.97 0 review(s)

  
  

  Bollinger has 15 years of experience with hardwood floors. In this book he details how to install three kinds of floors; strip, plank and parquet. Detailed illustrations show how to pick the right floor, prepare the subfloor, and finish the floor. There are two videos available which are keyed to the book. See video section of catalog.

• WOOD FINISHING FIXES

  $19.95 $11.97 0 review(s)

  
  

  "Quick Answers to Over 175 Most Frequently Asked Questions". This is an essential guide to keep on hand for all of your finishing questions and problems. Dresdner is a nationally known authority on finishing and lectures widely on the subject. He covers everything from sanding to the final polish. If you have finishing questions here is where to find the answer.

• RELIEF CARVING IN WOOD: A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION

  $19.95 $11.97 0 review(s)

  
  

  Pye is a professional carver and here presents a course on relief woodcarving. He uses one design, a fish, and explains exactly what he is doing, why he is doing it, every step of the way. Pye discusses tools, wood, the workplace, and what to do if things go wrong.

• THE BUILDER'S GUIDE TO MIXED CLIMATES

  $24.95 $14.97 0 review(s)

  
  

  This concise, graphically rich manual shows you the best techniques for energy and resource efficient residential construction in the mixed climates of North America where average winter temperatures stay above 45 degrees F. Covers insulation, HVAC, foundations, home design, framing, plumbing, drywall, and painting. The author is a forensic engineer and heads the Building Science Corp. in Westford MA.