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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.

• Beautiful Boxes: Design and Technique

  $24.95 $14.97 0 review(s)

  
  

  Build your skills and knowledge of woodworking. Beautiful Boxes: Design and Technique is perfect for the beginner to intermediate woodworker. Each chapter features a new box design – ranging from simple to complex as you work through the book, with each one illustrating a key design principle: •Harmony •Rhythm •Texture •Contrast The beauty of wooden boxes. Building a wooden box is one of the best ways to develop overall woodworking proficiency. Boxes are quick to build, require only a small amount of material (affordable!), and can be made in the smallest of woodshops. Best of all, charming, hand crafted boxes make the perfect gift.

• EXTREME PUMPKIN CARVING, 2nd ed.

  $14.99 $8.99 0 review(s)

  
  

  Providing a new twist on a holiday tradition, Extreme Pumpkin Carving, 2nd Edition illustrates how to carve fun three-dimensional faces and scenes in solid pumpkins (no hollowing necessary) using tools ranging from kitchen knives to carving gouges and chisels. Complete information is provided for getting started, including an overview of tools and tips for finding the best pumpkin to work with. Step-by-step instructions are detailed for using handy household tools to carve dramatic Halloween figures, and using professional tools for creating more elaborate and intricate details. Twenty frightful but fabulous pumpkin carving patterns are provided, along with full-color photographs of each finished carving. This is a great book for Halloween enthusiasts who are striving to create the best jack-o'-lantern on the block. It's also a perfect book for woodcarvers who are looking for new and inexpensive ways to celebrate Halloween. - See more at: http://www.foxchapelpublishing.com/extreme-pumpkin-carving-second-edition-revised-and-expanded#sthash.fTYCu8F5.dpuf

• RUSTIC CARPENTRY: WOODWORKING WITH NATURAL TIMBER

  $9.95 0 review(s)

  
  

  With an introduction by master craftsman Ralph Kylloe, this manual on rustic carpentry is a superb resource for woodworkers, furniture makers, and carpenters of all skill levels. Here are clear and concise instructions for creating beautiful pieces with unfinished timber, utilizing the unique texture and shape of tree branches, trunks, and shrubs. In addition, rustic woodworking requires few tools and relatively little skill to make decorative and practical flower stands, tables, chairs, gates, porches, aviaries, footbridges, verandas, tool sheds, and more. All these projects are included here with detailed advice on collecting and drying sticks; what kind of wood works best for various items; how to varnish both indoor and outdoor pieces; using battens and mortises to secure furniture; and successfully employing a range of other techniques.

• SIMPLIFIED G/T CUSTOM STAIRBUILDING/TANGENT HANDRAILING. REVISED [LSI]

  $28.95 $17.37 0 review(s)

  
  

  This is the revised edition of di Cristina's popular work on stairbuilding. Over 50 pages have been revised. The author covers where to locate risers in a curved stairway in relation to the handrailing, three methods of finding the face mould, fifteen basic handrail problems, installation of balusters, how to find baluster cuts under an incline turn handrail, and much more. Mr. di Cristina owned a custom stairbuilding business in San Francisco for over 50 years.