The Great Bald Eagle

Inspiration for the sculpture

I began this sculpture inspired to capture the character and majesty of the bald eagle and the ennobling sense he may impart on the spectator. Imagining how he should convey a feeling of quiet discerning, reserved, controlled power and a fierceness of purpose. Qualities that we may witness in this beautiful creature and may share with him ourselves.

My experience with the bald eagle

The bald eagle seems to be more prevalent in Michigan now. Living in Michigan my whole life I had never seen one in the wild until a few years ago. Now I’ve had several sightings, the best of which was in my own back yard. Two adult eagles appeared to be play fighting or perhaps courting. Swooping at one another with their legs outreached as if to catch the other. What made it particularly enjoyable was that they flew rather low so I was able to get a really good look and hear their surprisingly quite chattering.

The process

It has taken two summers of sporadic, and at times intense work to complete. The piece is mostly power carved with chainsaw, die grinder and dremel, with some finishing touches in hand tools, followed by a bit of paint to highlight it features and spar urethane to seal and bing out the color of the wood.

It’s been quite enjoyable working out of doors on this long project. While carving I wear ear muffs to deafen the sound of the power tools. This constant hum can make it a little monotonous at times but mostly I get lost in thought and feel completely engrossed in the work. It’s peaceful to forget everything but focus on just one thing.

By the time I need a water break I can enjoy the surroundings. The birds are familiar and become comfortable getting closer. There is even the occasional deer that strolls by. And the shadow that glides over, prompting the wildlife and my self to look up and spot a hawk is a little joy as well.

I’ve enjoyed this work and now that it is finished I feel I have achieved the goal of representing a majestic creature both for its innate qualities and its ability to inspire man to see the best in himself.