HANCOCK, Vt. (WCAX) – Surrounded by nature in Hancock, two creatives sharing one studio look to the landscape around them as the inspiration for their work. And for bird-carver Floyd Scholz, the landscape makes all the difference.
Feather by feather, Scholz grinds away at his work. When you look at his birds, it’s hard to tell they’re made of wood.
“All of my work is commissioned well in advance, I’m kept very, very busy,” he said. “I’m proud of who owns my work and what it sells for.”
Over the past 40 years, Scholz’s career has truly taken flight. His work for the Vermont Raptor Academy has landed everywhere from museums to the homes of rich and famous collectors.
“Bird-carving has its roots firmly planted in the tradition of the American decoy,” Scholz explained. “Bird-carving that I do, and so many others nowadays, has evolved into a highly desirable collectible art form. These are art pieces.”
Scholz’s artistic ability has roots firmly planted in the American decoy, too. It started during his childhood.
“I’ve always loved birds. When I was a little boy, my mother said I used to sit at the window sill and just look out the window and watch birds,” he said. Hailing from a family of woodworkers, Scholz’s uncle was big into decoys. When he passed, his aunt handed down his old tools.
“Little did she know, little did I know that this would eventually lead to a lifelong pursuit of the art form,” he said. With no formal art lessons, at first, this bird-carving extraordinaire was just winging it.
“It started with Jeezum the Crow,” Scholz reminisced. “I entered Jeezum the Crow in the U.S. National Decoy Show in 1983 expecting to just get laughed right out of there. And by golly, it won best in show and it was bought by a collector for as much money as it would take me six months to earn… so that was good incentive.”
Over the years, Scholz has become the master of his craft. He’s one of the founders of the Raptor Center at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. And, he teaches classes for anyone interested in learning the craft. He’s won countless awards, including a Living Legend Award, written eight bestselling books, and has 56 years of research under his belt. But above all, people from across the globe turn to him for lifelike creations of their favorite feathered friends. His incredibly detailed work comes with a big bill and a big wait.
“I just delivered an eagle to a collector in Atlanta that took me over a year,” he said. With four or five birds underway at any time, Scholz says his wait time typically sits around 1.5 years, regardless of who the buyer is.
Creating these birds takes a steady hand and good eyes. Whirring away with his power tools, Scholz’s studio often sounds more like a dentist’s office. Scholz says his tools allow for speed and accuracy while carving into his Tupelo wood, sourced from the bayous of Louisiana.
“All of that contributes to a beautiful paint job, a nice soft paint job, which brings out the true essence of the feathering. And that is key,” he said.
Location is key, too. Scholz points to the ethos of Vermont as a contributor to the success of his work, allowing him to create his own beauty while surrounded by it.
One workstation over, his daughter, Eli Pimentel, is making her own mark. Tune in to “Made in Vermont” next week to learn more about her work.