Master Carver Coaxes Feathers From Wood

Robert Greene, known as Bob and affectionately called Hugger by his Bonacker friends, is a renowned decoy carver residing in Springs. His exceptional skill elevates decoy carving to a museum-worthy art form, as recognized in Harvey J. Lewis's book, “Artistry of Louisiana Decoy Carvers: Old and Contemporary.” Greene's masterpiece, a life-size red-tailed hawk, demonstrates his meticulous attention to detail, having taken him 550 to 600 hours to carve. This piece, complete with a chipmunk emerging from a stump and intricately carved oak leaves and acorns, showcases his ability to transform a block of wood into a lifelike sculpture. His home is a testament to his artistic passion, featuring taxidermied animals, his own vibrant landscape and animal paintings, and display cases filled with carved ducks like red-breasted mergansers, green-winged teal hens, and mandarins. Greene's creative process begins in his shed, where he carves the wooden forms, and continues in his basement workshop, where he applies paint. Both spaces are filled with a mix of taxidermied birds he has hunted and his own carved creations, covering nearly every surface. His tools range from band saws for rough cuts to fine-pointed wood burners and Gesswein devices with tiny diamond drill bits for intricate feather detailing. He employs gesso for priming and an airbrush for blending colors, often adding bright dashes of color to secondary feathers, such as the green in a green-winged teal. Greene also crafts “smoothies,” decoys that achieve texture through painting rather than carving. His current project, a group of six lesser yellowlegs, exemplifies his progression toward photorealistic detail, a stark contrast to his earlier, blockier sanderling carvings. He studies books to accurately capture bird outlines, colors, and textures, creating practice pieces like individual duck heads. Decoy carving, an art form originating over 2,500 years ago with Native Americans, now encompasses two main categories: hunting decoys and decorative decoys. Greene specializes in decorative decoys, which demand lifelike detail. He emphasizes that being a successful decoy carver requires knowledge of wood, carving proficiency, painting skills, and an artistic eye. Greene's journey into carving began during his time as a heavy equipment operator, inspired by a fellow worker. Starting with basic tools like a jackknife and coping saw, he refined his craft over five decades, becoming one of the last carvers from his local group. He participated in national duck carving shows, earning ribbons and advancing through classes, and even competed in the prestigious Ward World Championship, though he eventually withdrew due to perceived political biases in judging. Despite his achievements and the museum-quality of his work, Greene views carving primarily as a hobby. He does accept commissions, with his reputation spread through word-of-mouth, as evidenced by a recent request for a $1,500 black duck. His passion for the outdoors extends beyond carving; he started duck-hunting with his father as a teenager and, at nearly 85, continues to fish and hunt with his son and grandson. His yard contains a fishing boat, lobster traps, and a camouflage duck blind trailer, highlighting his deep connection to nature and traditional outdoor pursuits. #DecoyCarving #WoodSculpture #WildlifeArt #RobertGreene #ArtisticProcess #TraditionalCraft #HomeDecor #NatureInspiredArt #DecoyCarving #WoodSculpture #WildlifeArt #RobertGreene #ArtisticProcess #TraditionalCraft #HomeDecor #NatureInspiredArt

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