Fine Bird Carvings and Sculptures
by  MATT CORMONS

CARVINGS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE  RECENT WORKS BIRD SPECIES INDEX  CLIENTS' COMMENTS  ABOUT THE ARTIST  TERMS AND HOW TO ORDER  MATT'S CATS!  FISH  MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS (DOGS,   HORSES, PIGS, ANGELS, FROGS, ETC.)   BIRD CARVING LINKS  CUCKOO CLOCK AND OTHER REPAIRS NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY 1 NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY 2

Passenger Pigeon (extinct)

 

"The blue heron is truly a work of art that cannot be adequately 
described, but must be experienced."(client's comment)

 Take the time to view this site (including CLIENTS' COMMENTS) and compare it with others' 

work for quality, price and expertise; then decide who you want to carve that special bird.

Great Egret

Are you a birder, sports person, naturalist, artist, collector or investor in fine wildlife art? Welcome to the site where you will find some of the finest hand carved and hand painted bird art to be found anywhere. Why consider a Cormons carving? Aside from affordability, Matt's discerning clientele want bird carvings and sculptures that are authentic, yet uniquely interpreted.  From concept to finished creation, each carving and sculpture is truly one of a kind, carved one at a time, without patterns, exclusively by Matt Cormons. As an artist who knows birds, Matt is able to capture each bird's individuality, as well as the character of each species. In addition, his finer (and costlier) sculptures are of museum quality. These are a few of the reasons his work is sought after by knowledgeable collectors.   Matt's work is truly unique

Full-size Tundra Swans purchased by the Chincoteague Natural History Society for the Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge on Virginia's Eastern Shore.  Here they are shown suspended from the ceiling of the beautiful Bateman Center exhibit building where they have been greeting thousands of visitors each year.

Before settling into a  career as an artist, Matt, had spent most of his professional life as a well traveled naturalist, scientific illustrator and teacher.  A trained biologist, he is still actively involved with bird research. The fine carvings you will be viewing on these web pages are the result of his talent and varied background.  For a more-detailed look at the artist (and his research) see ABOUT THE ARTIST.

Following are photos and commentary introducing you to the various styles and other aspects of Matt's work.  They are only a small sample of the many species and styles he has done.  If you are looking for a particular bird, see SPECIES INDEX

Are you looking for a very original abstract piece to complement the decor of  your  home?  You might consider something in the style of the "Ebony" collection.  In these imaginative sculptures no effort is made to depict an actual species; they are Matt's interpretation of the sleek, streamlined essence of a bird in action.  No two are alike. They are not true ebony, but are painted black. To view more of the "ebony" collection and other abstracts, see EBONY.

This carving of a Pintail is representative of Matt's more realistic work.  In this piece the body feathers are carved in relief.  The body, including the raised wings, is carved from a  single piece of  wood.  The head, as in nearly all carvings, is added separately. Those who know their ducks especially appreciate Matt's work.  To view other ducks see DUCKS.

An Atlantic Puffin sitting on a guano covered rock may not be everyone's idea of a centerpiece  for the dining room table!  But if you want realism and accuracy, you wouldn't want the puffin  mounted on a piece of clean driftwood. The guano, incidentally, isn't real!  Except when necessary (as in the kingfisher's crest, shown below), Matt does not detail feathers.  Many people are distracted into believing detailed feathering (one would need a magnifying glass to  see such detail on an actual feather) is the sign of a fine carving, and miss the real art, the ability  of the carver to capture the essence of  the species through attitude and expression - and to leave out what is unnecessary. Capturingthis essence is difficult and is what Matt specializes in.  To see other species of puffins see PUFFINS.

Matt's carvings can be found in the homes of satisfied clients from Maine to California, in Hawaii and Alaska, and in many foreign countries.  Please read the wonderful things his clients' have to say about his art - click on CLIENTS' COMMENTS.

In this Kingfisher the body feathers are carved in relief, as in the puffin above, but not otherwise detailed.   However, the crest is necessarily detailed to show its hairy aspect (difficult to see in this image). The feet of this kingfisher are metal casts of actual feet.  Matt sometimes makes his own feet, but good casts, if available, are usually better and result in substantial savings for the client.  Incidentally, not every carver using cast feet advertises that fact.  The feet of the puffin above, were made by Matt To see other kingfisher carvings, see KINGFISHERS

Some clients request groups of birds, as in these Spotted Sandpipers. The driftwood base is not inappropriate here because unlike the sanderling (see the top of this page), which typically feeds on sandy beaches, the  Spotted Sandpiper, a dweller of streams, as well as salt, brackish and freshwater creeks and marshes, may search for small animals around dead wood by the water.  To see other sandpiper carvings see SANDPIPERS.

Matt isn't limited to carving living species.  This fine carving represents the Passenger Pigeon which had numbered in the billions in the 1800, but which is now extinct! Unfortunately the term "pigeon" does a disservice to this bird because of the connotation it has to the familiar "park" pigeon which is not very popular with most people.  This "pigeon" was more dove-like and, without a doubt, more graceful than the latter. To see other extinct species Matt has done see EXTINCT SPECIES.

Most of Matt's carvings are done by special request - one reason for the large number of species and many styles he has done.

Folk art is also fair game for Matt.  Some people prefer a carving that is  more primitive. This rustic loon, made from a log with a decayed center is  an example of  Matt's folk art.  Such carvings are much easier to make than  the carvings shown above - and they are quite inexpensive.  To view other loons, including realistic ones, see LOONS.

Like the abstract "Ebony" collection (above), these carvings are not true to a  particular species. They do very well  at local benefit auctions, getting much more than the selling price. Because they take a fraction of the time it takes to carve a particular species, they are very reasonably priced.  These can also be painted  black, as in the "Ebony" collection.  To see some of the latter, see EBONY SHOREBIRDS.

Matt is not restricted to carving American birds.  The  Redshank shown here is a European bird that is sometimes found in America. If you have traveled and seen a bird you would like to have a fine carving of, Matt will do it for you.  Click on EXOTICS to see what other non-native species Matt has done to date.

If the smaller birds are your favorite, Matt does them too, as you can see from the delicate Red-breasted Nuthatch to the left.  To see chickadees, wrens, bluebirds and  other thrushes, cardinals, tanagers, jays,  crows and more, see SONGBIRDS

Pileated Woodpecker

COMMISSIONS ARE WELCOME for any bird, from anywhere, and in any of many styles

Great Blue Heron

Each bird carving is signed with the signature shown to the left.  Many people ask  what "mon"  means.   Someone saw Models Of Nature", not a bad idea, but if you carefully examine the signature you will see that it spells "Cormons".