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Black Duck Preening, Decorative decoy, 1985
Bob Brophy (b. 1932)
Essex, Massachusetts
Wood, glass, lead, paint
15 1/2 x 19 x 13 in.
Collection of the artist
Photography by Jason Dowdle
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Bob Brophy maintains a group or rig of decoys for his use and sells a few birds to local hunters. He also makes convincingly lifelike and detailed decorative birds. Here you see a black duck decorative decoy. Bob finishes his decorative birds with a small burning iron that can burn fine lines. As he describes, "You can reproduce the veins of the feathers. Each feather is stepped up; it's like shingling a house." Painting has its secrets - to make the bird lifelike, he takes a very fine brass bristle brush and brushes the carbon out of the veins of the feathers. Otherwise, the carbon will burn through the paint.
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