“It’s all about getting the eyes right,” says Smoker, “in order to give the wooden bird life and make it look real.”
But even those that await hand-painted feathers and colorful detailing are realistic enough to let the imagination go wild. It certainly helps that the back of his workshop looks out onto the Tangier Sound of the Chesapeake Bay; it is a birdwatcher’s dream.
Rich Smoker grew up on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, where he carved waterfowl hunting decoys with his father. He developed an interest in taxidermy and was offered a job by a local taxidermist. In 1979, he opened his own taxidermy business and, during the slower seasons, he returned to carving. His vast knowledge of animal anatomy helped inform his carving skills.
“In taxidermy you work from the inside out, and in carving you work from the outside in,” notes Smoker.
In 1982, Smoker and his family moved to Somerset County on Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore and his passion for carving flourished. Since that time, he has carved more than 3,000 birds, which have won more than 60 best in shows and more than 140 ribbons at decoy carving competitions. At the 2008 Ward World Wildfowl Carving Competition, Smoker won the prestigious World Champion Title in the “Shootin’ Rig Division.”
But it’s not just decoy making and bird carving. Smoker also enjoys sharing his knowledge with others; he’s taught more140 classes to roughly 1,400 people. His dedication to keeping alive the traditions of duck decoy making and waterfowl art has led him to be an active member of the Ward Foundation Board of Directors, and the founder of the museum’s fall event, the Chesapeake Wildfowl Expo.
Rich Smoker is a Maryland Traditions’ 2011 ALTA (Achievement in Living Traditions & Arts) Award Recipient for his dedication to keeping the duck decoy making and bird carving traditions alive. He was honored with this award in December. For more information, visit www.MarylandTraditions.org.
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