Jan. 9, 2003

Hello

I am new to fish decoy carving and found your Michigan Darkhouse web site very valuable. I have been given several fish decoys as gifts and really enjoy them. I carved a couple of decoys and quickly learned they are more complicated that I thought. My first attempts gave me fits trying to get them to swim. Someone told me about the web site and I found the articles by Mike Holmes on building and weighting decoys very helpful. I have been carving duck decoys for about six years and had a lot of small white cedar that was really of no use to me.  I cut some of Anthony Hillman patters to use up this wood and away I went.

I painted them with oils but I don't think I will continue with that. I prefer acrylics and think they will work better for me and I can fire up my air brush ( which also gives me fits) and paint them up. I have been going to the Livonia show since it started there and really enjoy it. Last year I did not even look at the duck decoys as I was truly fascinated with the fish.

My duck carving buddies are fed up with my talk about fish decoys but I really like them.

Signed,

Edward McNorton