![]() Great Horned Owl |
![]() 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 concept to finished creation, each carving and sculpture is truly one of a kind, carved one at a time, without patterns. 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. It's no wonder his work is sought after by so many knowledgeable collectors. Matt's work is truly unique. |
TAKE SOME TIME TO VIEW SOME
OF THE PAGES ON THIS WEB SITE,
COMPARE MATT'S WORK AND PRICES
WITH OTHERS', THEN DECIDE
WHO YOU WANT TO CARVE YOUR
SPECIAL BIRD
Full-size Tundra Swans currently on loan at the Chincoteague
Wildlife
Refuge on Virginia's Eastern Shore. These carvings
are for sale.
See CARVINGS
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
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,
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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 click on 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. Capturing this essence is difficult and is what Matt specializes in. To see other species of puffins click PUFFINS. |
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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. If you would like to read
what his clients' have to say about his work, click on CLIENTS'
COMMENTS.
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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 . |
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 click on SANDPIPERS. |
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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" is more dove-like and graceful than the latter. To see other extinct species Matt has done click on 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, click on LOONS. |
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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, click on 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 and guarantee your satisfaction. Click on EXOTICS to see what other non-native species Matt has done to date. |
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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, click on SONGBIRDS |
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from anywhere, and in any of many styles |
![]() Great Blue Heron |
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Each bird carving is signed with the signature
shown to the left. Many people
ask what "mon" means. Someone suggested
Models
Of
Nature",
not
a bad idea, but if you carefully examine the signature you will see that
it spells "Cormons". |
*All
images on this site are copyrighted and may be
used only with
the direct permission of Matt Cormons.
Phone: 757-665-4698
Address:
Matt Cormons
26201 Dennis Rd.
Parksley, VA 23421