Blue Heron Bird Wood Carving by Richard Ellinger, Award Winning Carver

Blue Heron – Bird Wood Carving by Richard Ellinger, Award Winning Carver. Hand-Carved and Hand-Painted by Richard Ellinger. Overall Height – 9.5. Ellinger took great care in creating his bird carvings, and was committed to his carvings being very detailed and accurate. Ellinger passed away in 2009, and this is among the last carvings he made. It is being offered for sale by his widow. BIO (Provided by his Widow) – RICHARD ELLINGER’S ARTISTRY IN WOOD. Richard Ellinger, accomplished bird carver, began creating his works of art in 1977, after attending the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. Two years later, learning all he could from books, he entered his first carving competition at the C. S International Woodcarvers exhibit, and won a 3rd Place ribbon. Born and raised in Amherst, New York, Ellinger became a pilot at age 19 and flew for the O. In the Air Force in World War II in the IndiaBurma Theater. Following the war, he worked in research and development for Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories in Buffalo for 23 years until his job was eliminated by government cutbacks. He then joined the Fisher-Price Toy Co. In East Aurora as a model maker for 10 years. In 1980, at age 62, Ellinger took early retirement to move with his wife Cynthia, and their one year old son, Jonathan, to the Glens Falls area, near Cynthia’s family. Having dabbled in many hobbies over the years, including making “Thunderbird” arrows for archery and custom made gunstocks for sportsmen, Ellinger decided to use his creative abilities capturing the spirit of birds in wood. With his background in aerodynamics, his love for working with wood, and his gifted hands, Ellinger had found his niche. His intricate carvings include both life-size and miniature waterfowl, songbirds, and birds of prey. Each bird is thoroughly researched, and study skins are used for accuracy in feather count, measurements of beaks, distance between the eyes, size of feet and talons. Ellinger carves acorns, pine cones, pine needles, branches with bark, and mice and fish, as well as the birds from tupelo wood which comes from Louisiana. It is a soft, fine-grained wood which is free of knots, a vital factor to carvers. The habitat enhances the featured bird carving but must not distract from the bird itself. A delicate balance must be achieved to please the discerning eye. With a natural love of the outdoors, and a keen eye for detail, Ellinger’s carvings reflect the spirit of the species he creates in wood. From the alertness of a robin perched on a picket fence, to the haunting look of a peregrine falcon in search of prey, to the freedom of an eagle in flight, Ellinger captures that certain look or tilt of the head to give his bird valid expression. The last four consecutive years, Ellinger has won ribbons at the prestigious Ward Foundation’s World Show of birdcarvings, held each April in Ocean City, Maryland. In 1990, Ward’s 20th world competition, Ellinger had three entries in three different classifications, and each entry won a ribbon. He was awarded 2nd Place ribbons in 1989 and 1990 in this competition of over 2,000 entries from more than 900 birdcarvers. At Ward’s World Championship, there are nineteen categories requiring 3 judges each and an ornithologist to aid with technical details. Selected by a comndttee, for their expertise, these judges are carvers, naturalists, artists, taxidermists, sculptors, museum directors, and ornithologists from across the continent. The high caliber of carving entries makes nit-picking necessary as the judges seek to find the accurate bird with that extra something special. Ellinger has studied under Master Carvers Bob Guge and Ernie Muehlmatt, having completed intense week-long seminars with each. He has been awarded six ribbons from the Ward Foundation’s World Shows’ competitions and still stands in awe of the creations of fellow carvers’ entries. Ellinger won the Blue Ribbon “Best of LARAC in 1981″ and was proud of the accomplishment; now he has grown accustomed to his artistry with birds, yet continues to strive for improvement. Richard Ellinger is a genius and an artist of unusual talent. Terms and Conditions of Sale. We sell antiques, collectibles, artwork, and other items that have been previously owned. As a result, there are a number of factors that may affect the condition of an item, such as: the type of item, the materials used to make an item, the age and previous use of the item, the conditions under which the item may have been stored and transported, as well as normal wear and tear. We do our best to carefully inspect each item and accurately state it’s condition in our listings. All stated dimensions are approximate. We will do our best to address your concerns satisfactorily. Multiple Items for Sale, Pictures. However, the item you receive will be the same as described in the listing, both as to appearance and condition.