The "Birdman" of the 653rd ASG: world-class carver makes a living shaping wood - People - Jeff Wardwell in California

WILDOMAR, Calif.--Displaying a smile of amusement, Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Wardwell cradled a simple duck sculpture in his hands and recalled it as the first he painstakingly carved from a wooden block 21 years ago.

"I call it the 'tugboat,'" he said, chuckling as he looked at the simple black and white carving in his hands. "But at the time, I was thrilled with it."

Next to him was a carving of another bird--a pintail duck that looked virtually alive with its green, yellow gray and white body, brown head and exquisitely-detailed feathers.

It was a sign of how far Wardwell had come. The duck won second place in the Ward World Wildfowl Carvers Championship in 1997 in Ocean City, Md.

Wardwell, a platoon sergeant with the 653rd Area Support Group during his Reserve drills, is a worldclass bird carver who not only places repeatedly in world competitions, but makes his living by selling his creations. He has won about 80 awards in national and international meets.

"I have a passion for taking a block of wood and turning it into something lifelike," he said.

Wardwell first got started back in 1980, then a marine at Quantico, Va. One day he looked at a copy of Outdoor Life magazine and noticed an ad for a water fowl carvers' festival in Easton, Md.

"I decided to go and I saw the carvings of duck decoys," he said. "I noticed how elaborate and highly detailed they were. They look so real, like they could walk off the table. I liked the detail. I was really amazed at how they got that wood to look."

Professional full-time carvers advised him to get the "bible" of the art--the 382-page book, Game Bird Carving by Bruce Burk. He's never formal formal training, but life has never been the same since. When stationed on a Navy ship he brought his wood and carving tools with him. Some on the ships didn't like him doing it. But he kept his area clean. He continued honing his skills during stints in the Navy, National Guard and then Army Reserve.

Wardwell, 43, estimates he carved 50 to 60 ducks the first 10 years and would typically sell them for $250 to $300 each. He has created about 175 birds since he began. He won his first award in 1990 at the Decoy and Wild Fowl Carvers Association Competition in Palm Springs, Calif. He entered and won first place in the Novice Decorative Floating Waterfowl Category against about 50 other applicants.

For the last two years, he has carved birds of prey, mainly hawks. He either sells the carvings or uses them to produce bronze reproductions.

His latest project, still in process, is a hawk on a glove-covered hand. The hand was actually patterned after Wardwell's, who is a licensed "falconer" and "hawker."

"Birds of prey are very intense" he said. "But hawks are easy to tame the falcons."

Mr. Wagner is with the 63rd Regional Support Command Public Affairs Office, Los Alamitos, Calif.

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