Richard M. Jason has been carving waterfowl for more than 35 years. Jase set out to hone his skills creating classic decorative decoys after giving up duck hunting in the Sandwich marshes. A thirdgeneration Cape Codder, Jase taught high school for 31 years in the Falmouth School System. Now retired, he is able to devote his time solely to studying birds and creating waterfowl from wood. Having a teachers schedule afforded him the flexibility to spend his summers choosing his subject, carving, sanding and painting each piece. More importantly, it enabled him to travel throughout New England to various sawmills in his eternal quest for the perfect basswood. Basswood is his material of choice as it has the most solid, stable grain, making his decoys less susceptible to expanding, contracting and cracking due to the elements and time. After finding the proper basswood, he stores and dries it for years before using it for carving. All elements of the carving process are done solely by Mr. Jason. From creating the different patterns for the body and head of each type of waterfowl, to the shaping and carving of each bird, to the endless hours of painstaking handsanding all are done in his carving barn. Jase creates a class of decoys at at time, about a dozen in number. The group of decoys are unique on their own although patterned and cut from the aged basswood at the same time. Once all are carved to satisfaction, Jase will move on to the handsanding process and will then be ready to complete the piece through the final, technical and timeconsuming paintingstaining process. Mr. Jason takes great pride in the authentic painting of each decoy. He strives to capture every detail and characteristic of the waterfowl, taking great pains to duplicate the natural markings and coloration. The painting process is the last, and the one that goes most slowly. Natural light is the most critical factor in ensuring a wellpainted decoy, as each drop of paint makes a difference in the finished product. Much of the painting is done in his studio on the Maine coast where the natural light is advantageous and the tides bring multiple species of waterfowl, lending constant inspiration. Once the entire class is complete, he will begin the process anew. At the moment, Mr. Jason is continuing to work on a class of Mainestyle decoys which, in the Maine tradition, sport square, inletted heads and an interplay of natural wood grain and rich, translucent color. The species included are eiders, mergansers and scoters. Although primarily known in New England for his quality decoys, Jase is also known for his creative signs for home and trade as well as halfhulls. He will be happy to hear from interested parties to answer and questions concerning his craft, or to simply chat about his passion, decoys.

Address: P.O.Box 313 Wiscasset, ME 04578
Telephone: 207 882 9999
Website: http://www.richardmjasondecoys.com/