This full-size Tundra Swans shown above are Matt's biggest undertaking to date.  Matt had to surmount many technical difficulties before succeeding (he now knows why the client couldn't find any other carver who would do it!)  The size alone (71" wingspread in the male) made this particular commission extremely difficult.  He had made two (a male and a slightly smaller female) to be mounted beneath a 25 foot high ceiling in the entrance to a new home. The architect, William M. Hawke, who commissioned them was less principled that Matt thought and literally disappeared after he said he was coming to pick them up!  Matt had trusted his credentials and took no money down - that's why he requires a deposit from everyone.  The happy ending is that the swans now greet visitors entering the Bateman Center at the Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge on Virginia's Eastern Shore - a perfect venue for them since the swans winter at the refuge.  Check with Matt for a price on similar swan carvings.

Swans are favorites with many people.  Swan carvings can be any size, although a full-size one  is quite enormous (see above) and wouldn't be appropriate for most homes.  A swan carving with a length of about three feet from tail tip to breast (the size of the one to the left) is what you'll get if you order a full-size carving from most carvers (and that is plenty large).  Matt's current  prices  range
from $50 for one about 8 inches long without much detail, to $1,000 for a  large  fancy  one  with raised wings (not shown).
 
 

The carving to the left is of a Mute Swan, the species most people associate with swans. It usually holds its neck in a curve and has an orange bill.  It's actually a naturalized exotic from Europe.  Native swans have black bills and usually hold their necks up straight (see below).  The one shown is a large one about 3 feet long) with upraised wings.  The price is $700

The Mute Swan to the right is smaller than the one above.  The body is about two feet from tail to breast.   It has a raised wing and some relief detail. It is $500.  This, as the one above, was a special order made according to the specifications of the client.

The photos to the right and below show a variety of styles and sizes, including the top one which fits in the palm of the hand.  Some people prefer swans with longer, thinner necks, some with shorter, thicker ones.  Some like extreme curves, others  like gentle ones.    The carving below of a Tundra Swan shows the typically straight neck of this species (the keys are for size reference).  Note the yellow mark near the eye which is absent in the Trumpeter Swan shown on the lower right.

As you can see from Mat's hand, the Tundra Swan in the photos to the left and below are of a miniature carving from the left, underside and topside, respectively.  The one shown was originally made as a model for a pair of full-size swans (a special order, see above).  With the detail shown here expect to spend $250.

The flying swans above have no details in the wings and less detail overall, saving a lot of time.  They are only $75 each.   All of Mat's miniature swans in flight are mounted by a brass wire to a piece of driftwood.

The Black Swan of Australia (shown as miniatures above and to the right) is black with white flight feathers.  It also has red bill tipped with yellowish white. The detailed Black Swan above is $250, the one to the right is $75. There is also a South American swan which is white bodied with a black neck and head that Matte hopes someone would eventually want to commission.

Geese, of which there are many interesting native and exotic species, are represented on this page only by the Snow Goose and the Canada Goose.  The one shown to the left is almost 2 feet from the tail tip to the breast and carved with substantial relief.  It's priced at $650.

This is a particularly fine carving, slightly smaller than the the goose in the photo above.  The added effort put into this carving was for a client who has purchased many of Mat's better quality pieces.  A carving of this quality would be $750.

These  two  miniature Canada Geese have recognizable objects to show their sizes.  These were done years apart.  Note that Matte does not do a bird  the same way  twice.  He can if asked, but rather have the freedom to improvise with each carving.  Remember, since there are no patterns, because Matt does so many species that each carving is unique, and he rarely does more than one of a  kind  consecutively, his carvings are never the same.  Some people don't care if a piece is unique or  not;  they're  looking  for something in the line of a souvenir or knick-knack.  If that's what you want, you are at the wrong web site.

The Snow Goose is white with black wing tips.  The orange color between  the eye and  the bill  is  actually a rust stain from feeding in mineral rich  marshes (it can be left out).  The client asked to have the raised leg.  Life-sized and carved in relief,  this piece costs $450.