Best in Show

      Let me give you a little information on Ocellated Turkey (Melagris ocellata), a bird I suspect is unfamiliar to many of you.

     It is a scarce endemic of the Yucatán Peninsula of Central America, eagerly sought after by visiting birders, but difficult to find. A bird of mystery, outrageous in every respect, shrouded in legend, threatened over much of its range and secretive for most of the year. 

".....glossed green and copper.....shining dark copper across greater wing coverts.....whitish secondary panels.....white remiges.....bright cobalt blue head.....supercilia of bright orange "warts".....head and upper neck, including small dewlap, naked and bright cobalt blue, with orange-red caruncles scattered on neck-sides....." 

Steve Madge and Phil McGowan, Pheasants Partridges & Grouse, Helm Identification Guides (2002)

     And there is more. Much more. Every extreme colour, every psychedelic, peyote-induced apparition of the subconscious mind is present in this bird.

     Who you might ask, possessed of all their powers of reason, with well-balanced faculties, a model of stability, would attempt to create this apparition from a block of wood?

     Jeff Krete, that's who!

     Some of you may remember my love affair with the refined art of wood carving and its practitioners preceding the days when COVID made all of us prisoners in our homes - as a refresher, here is the report I composed following a rendez-vous with Jeff Krete, World Champion.

     This past weekend I was fortunate, for the third time, to be asked to be a judge at the Canadian Nationals, where carvers from all over Canada come together to display their art and vie for honours. Works of sublime execution are arrayed in all their glorious diversity, with waterfowl, songbirds, owls, woodpeckers and the like dominating the field. And then there is the deviation from the norm!

     Le voilà - a full size rendition of an Ocellated Turkey.

     I swear to you on all that is precious to me, that when I first saw this bird, had it hopped down from the table and walked toward me I would not have registered surprise. 

     Such is the quality of Jeff's work. 

     I am grateful to Jeff for all of the pictures in this post, illustrating as they do its elegance of form and the scintillating realism of the colours. It is good to recall that just as alchemy sought to transform useless stone and metal into gold and other precious metals, this divine creation began life as a rectangular block of wood.

     Jeff has proved that alchemy is not always an illusion.

     How can we imagine what it takes to create this lifelike sculpture? Who among us would even be bold enough to contemplate it?

     If for one foolish moment I even dreamed I could do it I would need to lie down until the feeling passed and reality reasserted itself.

     The sheer perfection, to say nothing of the colour fidelity of these feather tracts, is a testament to artistry and diligence. How many hours were spent to achieve such results? What levels of frustration? Did it seem the colours would never be quite right? Were there times when it would have been tempting to give up?

     For Jeff I am sure this was never an option and that, of course, is why Jeff occupies a pedestal reserved only for champions.

     The bird is but one part of the whole, however. No organism lives in a vacuum; all are part of an integrated ecosystem.

     Do you not marvel with me at the exquisite detail of the flora and fauna that share their home with the turkey? The base of the piece becomes a diorama in miniature.

     I hasten to remind you that each component of this work, from the butterfly to the smallest smudge of moss, every leaf, every flower, every stem is created by Jeff.

     Truly the work of a connoisseur. Best in show was richly deserved.

     This award celebrates Al Forler, a veteran and treasured member of this fraternity, and it was very fitting that Al was present to share in Jeff's achievement.

      Well done Maestro Krete. We salute you!

Jeff Krete - Superstar

     Regular readers of my blog will know of the great pleasure I have had in interviewing champion wood carvers and introducing you to their work.
     My most recent encounter has been with Jeff Krete, an artist of great distinction, a wonderful conversationalist, a fellow with a cerebral quality applied to his creations in ways that confound the imaginative capacity of mere mortals like us.

     Jeff embarked on his career as a carver in 1983, at the tender age of twenty-three. His early influences were Arn Pletzer, already eighty-four years old when Jeff came to know him; a pattern maker and distinguished artist who was affiliated with the Group of Seven. Jeff would carve a piece one week and take it to Arn the next for critique.  Huge inspiration gained from fellow Canadian carvers Paul Burdette and Pat Godin were also developmental factors in Jeff's progression, and with their guidance he raised his skill level appreciably.
     Jeff is quick to acknowledge the contribution of these mentors, and to emphasize the collegial relationship that exists between carvers, who, while fiercely competing against each other, are always willing to offer assistance to an up-and-coming future rival. 
     While completing one of his pieces Jeff needed to improve his welding skills, and contacted Pat Godin for help and received it without hesitation.
     One of Jeff's prized possessions is a carving of an American Woodcock completed by Arn Pletzer and he was happy to show it to me.

     No doubt he is reminded of his early days as a fledgling carver every time he looks at this piece.
     As you will see as we explore Jeff's art throughout this article, it is an eclectic mix of style and subject, but one of the themes that will emerge is the connection between birds and human culture. And it is to this linkage that Jeff applies his most creative processes.
     Let us examine one piece that took my breath away with its complexity, detail, and execution. Fortunately (only for me) this piece has not sold so I was able to see it.
     A few years ago, as no doubt many of you remember, there was great interest in Egyptology, engendered primarily by the touring Tutankhamun exhibit, and this provided the inspiration for Jeff to complete one of his most ambitious pieces.

     Looking at the exquisite rendition above, it is perhaps appropriate to remind everyone that this is carved out of wood and hand painted. Jeff was unhappy with the results to be obtained with gold paint, so he applied actual gold leaf to portray the richness and majesty of the subject.
     The Egyptian god, Horus, was believed by its devotees to be embodied in a falcon.

     You will note the iconography of this side of the falcon, rich in shimmering gold. On the reverse side, however, are the true colours of a Peregrine Falcon, representing the fusion between the natural world and the realm of deities and spirits.

     The sarcophagus is carved from a single piece of tupelo. I can tell you from having seen this piece, the precision is nothing short of exquisite and it is accurate down to the smallest detail.
     Here is Jeff hard at work on it.

     Who can begin to imagine the amount of time spent on this work? How many frustrations, how many technical details to be worked out, how many obstacles to overcome? In fact who can conceive of the creative force to come up with the theme in the first place?
     It is a tour de force by any standards; a masterpiece both in conception and realization.
     The Ward World Championship, having its origins as a forum for decoy makers to display their oeuvre, will be fifty years old in 2020. Jeff has won first in the world five times, achieving that honour for the first time in 2006, in the floating pairs category, with a pair of Barrow's Goldeneye.

 This was followed a year years later with a win in the  decorative miniature category, with three Northern Pintails in flight. 

     Jeff felt that the second championship meant that the "pressure was off." He knew that he was not a one-off wonder!
     A pilot himself, Jeff has a love affair with flight, and many of his works, such as the one above, reflect this passion.
     In 2007 Jeff was again a world champion, once more in the decorative miniature category, this time with an Argus Pheasant.

     The pinnacle of Jeff's creative output resulted in a world championship and a People's Choice Award in 2014. Jeff considers this his finest piece to date - only to be surpassed in the future, mind you!

     It represents the inter-relatedness between the flight of birds and the flight of aeroplanes, and is aptly called "The Anatomy of Flight." How magnificently this is displayed, you may readily see below.

     The bird is rendered life size and every aspect of the bird and the machine is rendered accurately, with attention to even the most minor detail. The fusion of bird and aeroplane are exquisitely presented. Every flowing line is pleasing to the eye and leads one to soar toward the clouds.

     It is hardly surprising that Jeff looks extremely happy standing by his work, having already learned that he has been declared world champion.

    Jeff's most recent award-winning piece (2016) is entitled Bering North Sea Ducks, featuring Long-tailed Ducks and a King Eider.

     Oh that it were to grace my shelves!

    Jeff has now been a world champion in three of the five categories at the Ward World Championships. The two that remain to be conquered are World Decorative Life Size and Three Bird Shooting Rig. Jeff does not hesitate to to declare that he intends to be the first win in all five categories.

     A piece that I find incredibly beautiful and interesting, and one of Jeff's favourite three pieces that he has ever completed, is of a Cape Buffalo with a Cattle Egret on its head, reminding me of scenes that I have seen in South Africa. Jeff entered this work in the World Miniatures category in 2002, and it won nothing! It seems hard to believe, but of course I did not see the winning sculptures. I can only say that they must have been quite phenomenal!

       In addition to his success at the world championships Jeff has also won the Canadian National Championship six times and has numerous second and third place honours in a range of competitions.

     From a commercial standpoint Jeff creates decoy masters for Avery Greenhead Gear, a decoy company in the United States, a time-consuming and demanding occupation.

     There are so many more beautiful pieces created by Jeff, and so many more stories to tell, but I will feature just a few below, and you will judge for yourself the wealth of talent of this truly remarkable artist.

     Like all champions, Jeff has a championship ring. It now has five stones, four diamonds and a ruby for the win on the 40th anniversary. I expect that Jeff will soon have rings for more than one finger!

     Jeff is in demand as a teacher and takes a week each year to conduct classes for aspiring new carvers. He has travelled to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia to impart his knowledge and skills to others. Lucky the students to have been tutored by a master!

     Who can even imagine what is next for this amazing artist? Who knows what ideas are percolating in his head? I will be anxious to run into him at the next show to see the latest output from his creative mind and skillful hands. I can guarantee you it will be unique and both challenging and pleasing to all who see it.

     The purpose of these features on carvers is not to compare one with the other, nor to rank or rate them, but to expose you to the incredible work that they produce. I must say, however, that I derived an enormous degree of satisfaction from my interview with Jeff. He gave me insights into the process in ways I had not previously considered and removed a couple of layers from my blinders and opened up new vistas and perspectives. He added a whole new intellectual component to the work he shares with his fellow artists, man and woman, young and old. He is modest to a fault, a true champion in every way.

     I urge you to follow Jeff on Facebook by searching for Jeff Krete or Jeff Krete Wildlife Art; you may personal message him there.       

   

Twenty-ninth Annual Canadian National Wildlife Carving Championship

17 March 2018

     This year I had the distinct honour, and great pleasure, in being asked to be a judge at the Canadian National Wildlife Carving Championship, an annual event I always look forward to attending as a lover of this art form (and that is what it is), and as a collector, so to be a judge was a rare and much-appreciated privilege. 

     The Grand Valley Woodcarvers Club is a primary organizer of the event and deserves much credit.

     I owe a great debt of gratitude to Peter McLaren for asking me to take part, to Lyn Burnett for her superb organizational job, but most of all to Jeff Krete, ( www.facebook.com/JeffKretewildfowlart; www.legendarywings.ca) a five-time world champion carver, and to Jason Lucio (www.jasonlucioart.com; www.facebook.com/JasonLucioArt), a three-time world champion, with whom I formed one of the judging teams, for their great kindness and willingness to explain the myriad nuances of what makes a good carving, and the techniques, thought processes and design decisions that go into it.  I saw carvings in a way I never saw them before; my astonishment at the creative forces behind a carving grew exponentially. I have little doubt that my meagre contribution in terms of ornithological knowledge was insignificant compared with the expert assessments of these world class artists.

     The show was opened by the Mayor of Waterloo, Dave Jaworsky, with suitable words of encouragement.

      We were judges in various categories and skill levels, beginning with the Master Class.

     One of the pieces in our first group was this male Belted Kingfisher, perched on a branch, draped in an epiphyte looking down on the water, where Yellow Perch were hiding beneath aquatic vegetation and submerged logs.

     In the same grouping was this female Green-winged Teal, carved and painted to perfection. 

     

     I should mention here that sometimes it was relatively easy to narrow the choices down to three finalists, but then selecting between the final three was much more difficult. I relied heavily on Rick and Jason to guide me through these final steps, knowing that the characters between first and third place were both subjective and subtle. I am sure that in some cases if the winner could be assigned a score of 100, second was 99.9 and third was 99.8. It was sometimes that close.

     African Pygmy Falcon was the subject for one of the Purchase Awards and there were several carvings of this beautiful, diminutive little bird that I have had the pleasure of seeing in both South Africa and Ethiopia.

     This one was in our group, characteristically perched among the sharp thorns of an Acacia, and as you can see we accorded it first place. The red sticker indicates first, blue second, yellow third and green honourable mention. Once the judging has been completed appropriate name tags are added, with the names of the species and the artist.

     Here are some of the other renditions of African Pygmy Falcon.

      We had to judge a group of carvings in which Jeff had an entry so he had to excuse himself from participating.  A substitute judge was added to our crew and I say with pleasure that we unanimously came to the conclusion that Jeff's rendition of a Griffon Vulture high above a carcass on the African savanna was the clear winner.

     Look how Jeff has given the perception of the height of the bird descending from the sky, by minimizing the size of the zebra and presenting it in a muted way so as not to draw attention away from the bird.

     The details in the wing were quite remarkable to me, where moulted feathers are shown, with some positions already showing emergent new plumes. The margins were emarginated in classic vulture fashion; I swear that if that bird had flown off the wire it would not have surprised me!

     The detail on the underside was completed with the same precision and attention to detail as the upper surface.

     Was I biased because I knew it was Jeff's work? I don't think so, and the verdict was unanimous in any event. And Jeff would have only wanted a totally honest approach from all of us.

     Just before lunch we did some judging in the Interpretative Class, where there is a very wide range of styles, and evaluating one piece against another is highly subjective and far from easy.

     A fine lunch of soup and wraps was provided and a lively discussion took place around the table. As an "outsider" it was fascinating to hear the shop talk of carvers and competitors.

     By the time we returned from our lunch break the public was starting to arrive in increasing numbers.

     A female Belted Kingfisher was the subject for another Purchase Award.

     As was a miniature Northern Cardinal.

     Working decoys have a long and storied tradition, and it is probably in these utilitarian objects that decorative carving originated. These modern working decoys must have a keel and be able to float and self-right from any position to qualify for the competition.

     Here is part of one group of Intermediate Class carvings we had to judge.

     And more....

     Looking at these Killdeers, one gets the impression that perhaps these carvers all took the same class!

     I found this portrayal of an Elf Owl especially appealing.

     Don't forget that every element has to be carved; look how well the artist has rendered the effect of insects or caterpillars feeding on the leaves.

      A Northern Saw-whet Owl is guaranteed to earn the approbation of everyone!

     And I thought this approach to presenting an Eastern Screech Owl was bold and creative.

     As you can see we awarded it second place in its category.

     After our judging I walked around and chatted to various friends and acquaintances who had come to the show, and took a few more miscellaneous photographs of carvings that caught my eye.

     From Novice to Master Class, from the most humble beginner to a world class artist, all of these carvers deserve our respect and admiration for their commitment to their craft, and the continuation and enhancement of what is still primarily a North American art form.

     Long may it continue.