Lot # : 129 - Flying Mallards in Painted Scene - Roy Conklin

Roy Conklin (1909-1967) Alexandria Bay, NY c.1950 Oil on board with applied carved mallards Sight 13.5" x 17.5" | Framed 16.75" x 20.75" In Roy's early years living by the river he developed an attraction to local wildfowl, doodling birds in the margins of his schoolbooks. Later in life he would study art in the evenings at Columbia University while he worked for the New York Sun. Being a true riverman at heart, Roy eventually moved back to the Alex Bay area just before the onset of the Great Depression. He became a boat captain, fishing guide, and carpenter in the Alex Bay area. Due to the seasonal nature of his work, he found himself carving whimsical miniatures in the Winter of 1932 to 'amuse himself and earn a little extra money'. Fast forward a few years and Roy had developed quite a local and regional following for his miniatures and decorative carvings fulfilling orders for the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch in New York, NY. During WWII Roy transitioned to defense work to assist his nation, but the business didn't shutter. According to the Watertown Daily Times in 1953, Roy was selling through many outlets across the nation and world including Abercrombie & Fitch New York, NY, Castle & Cooke, Honolulu, HI, Marshall-Field, Chicago, IL, and Harrods, Ltd., London, UK. The Sportsmen's Club of Chicago named him and honorary member and Lynn Bogue Hunt even complimented Roy on the authentic expressions he managed to capture on his birds. Combining his interest of flat art and bird carving, Roy made limited numbers of a variety of painted scenes using the very paint he would use on his decoys. Most are of marsh wetlands where he would apply individual or numerous birds to the scene. This scene of a riverside marsh shows two mallards with spread wings flying across the tops of the wispy cat tails and marsh vegetation. The delicately carved and painted birds are comprised of 5 pieces, the body, two applied wings, and two tiny metal inserted feet. The birds were carved and painted to match the scene posture he desired and are applied using a screw through the back of the board. The upper wing tips curving out and the lower wing tips curving in. Each bird measures roughly 5" in wingspan and 4.5" long. The back of the board is signed by Roy. Provenance: Sampie Sutton Family Collection Condition: Near mint and original. Minor dirt between the birds and faint circular marks around the birds wings rotating