Minnesota Duck Decoys - Yesterday's and Today's Folk Artists
This definitive book by Doug Lodermeier covers great carvers of the past, present and factories. Filled with never-before published information, this book is a must for any enthusiast or dealer of wildfowl decoys and collectibles.
- Over 700 hard-bound pages
- Hundrends of full color photos
- Hundreds of vintage photos
- Other collectibles by the carvers
- 30 years of research
- much, much more...
To order Minnesota Duck Decoys please contact:
Doug Lodermeier
5700 Beard Avenue South
Edina, MN 55410-2342
612-922-9674
www.dougandpaul.com
The following is an exerpt from Doug Lodermeier's book Minnnesota Duck Decoys
Dave Taylor, 2008 - carving a head in his workshop.
His wife, Diane, says the woodcarving Taylor began in 1979 was important to keeping his balance in the midst of a hectic lifestyle. He was a physical education and health teacher and coach for 34 years. In the summers, he taught behind the wheel driver’s education. Carving gave him opportunities to spend time with his children as they played in the basement and was his way of unwinding after a day of school and coaching duties.
Taylor creates other carvings, such as songbirds and Santa Clause figurines. But nothing gives him satisfaction of carving a duck. He has donated carvings to Ducks Unlimited, Marshall Area Fine Arts, Marshall Hospice House and Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation.
“I do all my hunting close to my home in Marshall on the prairie lands of Southwest Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Conservation has done a great job of obtaining land in Southwest Minnesota,” said Taylor. There are over 150 wildlife management areas that are within 30 miles of Marshall. They are open to public hunting and Dave is going to attempt to hunt each and every one.
From an avid hunter to a rookie artist, Dave Taylor learned the fine art of turning a chunk of wood into a realistic duck carving. In an art room in the basement of his home, Dave brings wood to life. With his black Lab, Molly, at his side and country music on the radio, Taylor pursues the art of duck carving.
His passion for wildlife and woodwork goes back to his childhood in Stillwater, Minnesota. Taylor’s father was a dentist and a dedicated sportsman. Taylor’s outdoor life began around the duck ponds of Stillwater as he trudged behind his father and uncle in the early morning. Before long, they gave him permission to carry a BB gun and then a gun with no shells in it.
In 1962 a family friend and decoy carver from Michigan, Charles Pozzini, sent Taylor a box of carved heads, patterns and directions for painting a drake mallard. Charles was from Stillwater and was a friend of Ben Schmidt, the great Michigan carver. That box and Taylor’s interest in wildlife peaked his interest in wood carving. Still, he didn’t actually carve his first duck until 1979. Since his first decoy, Taylor’s talents have grown. He is a member of two carving clubs: Southwest Woodcarvers a local club that meets in Lynd and the Minnesota Decoy and Wildfowl Carving Club in the Twin Cities. Competitions he has participated in include the California Open, the Northern Nationals, the Pacific Flyway Decoy Show and the Ward World Championship. Taylor is also a member of all the local wildlife clubs in the Marshall, Minnesota area.
For Taylor, the best part of making decoys is in the detail. The exactness it takes to make a piece of wood into a life-like creature provides its own reward, along with the 100 hours it takes to carve a single duck. He carves gunning and decorative decoys using tupelo, basswood butternut, and cork. The decoys are painted in acrylic and oil.
Dave Taylor Widgeon Drake
2007
Basswood with keel
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Dave Taylor Northern Shoveler 2005
Tupelo Wood
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Dave Taylor Mallard Hen
circa 1980s
Basswood
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The following Original Deave Taylor Decoys are available for purchase:
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Original Dave Taylor Woodie Drake
Antique Style Basswood decoy.
Life Size Swimming Pose
$225 each
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Original Dave Taylor Gadwall Drake
Traditional High Grade Hunting Decoy
Carved From High Density Cork With Wood Keels
Life Size
$175 for pair (Drake and Hen below)
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Original Dave Taylor Gadwall Hen
Traditional High Grade Hunting Decoy
Carved From High Density Cork With Wood Keels
Life Size
$175 for pair (Hen and Drake above) |
To inquire about purchasing Dave Taylor orginal decoys please call 612-735-4134
Coming Soon - Autumn Wings Factory Wood Green Wing Teal Decoy based on Dave Taylor Design
