The pair of carvings to the right are unpainted Mourning Doves.  People who have seen them in the unpainted state have actually ordered them like that ($125 each).  Matt also paints them pure white (antiqued or not) and pure black for the same price.  Authentically painted as shown in the two photos below would be $225.  A more detailed carving would cost more.  Notice that they are each different, since Matt never copies himself, but does each bird with a new outlook.

                 The White- Winged Dove (below) is a dove of the western U.S..  Although it's body is a bit larger and heavier
                  than that of the Mourning Dove, its tail is shorter.
 

The photo above shows the carving as it was mounted on a wall plaque.   The bluish tone in the nearly black wings is actually an artifact of the camera or film.  The small photo  to the right shows the truer color.

At home on the owner's wall.  A carving of a dove in flight means the addition of two rather detailed wings (both the top- and undersides).  This adds a lot more time in both the carving and the painting. A dove in flight such as this would be $450.

The Passenger Pigeon shown below is an extinct species.  About as large as a common "park" pigeon, it was much more graceful and much more common. Billions would darken the sky for hours as they passed overhead.  They were easily shot by market gunners to the point where the large flocks required for reproduction became too small. The last bird died in captivity in 1914, when Matt's mother was born (not so long ago!). Matt can carve a smooth one for $250.

The raven shown in the 2 photos above (the lower one as it appears in its new home in Alaska) is full-size.  The softer tones of indoor lighting show the museum quality of the carving.  In general all carvings will have a much more pleasing quality indoors, as opposed to outdoors in a glaring sun (where virtually all the photos on this web site were taken).  The angle at which a carving is presented also changes its aspect (as you will see when you compare the two photos).  Because the wings were not added separately, as in the carving below, the price is $700.  Because of the raven's size, Matt cannot always get a large enough piece of wood to do it all in one piece.

Below is the result of a special request for a raven in an aggressive posture.  It is shown from different angles for a complete view.  Because of the difficulty of adding the wings, one like this would be $850.  It measures nearly 2' in length.
  Notice the wing position, the stance, and  the feathers of the throat ("beard"), all of which indicate this bird's aggressive attitude.  The addition of a tongue adds realism and character to the carving.

                                    "...thank you so much for another  'Matt treasure.' "

                               An entire group of inexpensive crows (below) for $125 each (notice the different poses
                               and some with open bills).  Ravens, which are larger, would cost $175 in a similar style.
 

The two Blue Jay carvings shown below are done in an abstract style, as requested by the clients
who ordered them.  This style captures the action, attitude and colorful aspect of this well known
species.  Note that though similar they are not identical, since no patterns were used.  Note that they also have a carved wing pattern.

Matt can do any species in this style (too see a cardinal in this style click here).  Price would vary with size and species, but should be in the neighborhood of $275.  You can be sure of a unique expression of Matt's interpretation of the particular bird you choose.