The Villages - May 2017 - 6

{ For The

Love

oF ArT }

From Wood to Wings

Richard Risenhuber Brings Birds to Life
Story By rica LewiS | PhotoS By Brandon at weLL

When Richard Risenhuber begins carving, a block of
soft wood becomes an exquisite creature. For 20 years, he
has been making decoy ducks that are far more detailed
than traditional folk art forms. Richard's wife, Lila, said
people are shocked to see the decoys he has made. The
intricate waterfowl are just as they appear in nature, as
Risenhuber takes care to carve and paint them true to life,
even counting their feathers, measuring their beaks and
using books with patterns as blueprints. His meticulous
process yields phenomenal results.

We chose our home site
overlooking a pond and preserve
so we could enjoy the wildlife.
Rich has carved many of the
ducks that frequent our pond.
- Lila risenhuber

6

MAY 2017

It all started in the late 1980s, after Risenhuber retired
from the Navy and moved to Eastern North Carolina. He
saw his first woodworking show and decided to try his
hand at carving. He took a class and honed his skills in
the evenings, after finishing work as a pharmacist.
He entered his first contest at the Ward World
Championships in Ocean City, Maryland, taking third
place for his canvasback drake (a type of diving
duck). After that, there were other contests and lots
of awards to show for the many hours he spent
chipping away at chunks of wood. Risenhuber said
the man who taught him won awards, too, taking
first prize for a full-size decorative swan he crafted.



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - May 2017

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The Villages - May 2017 - Cover1
The Villages - May 2017 - Contents
The Villages - May 2017 - 1
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