Carved Wonders
by Mike Schaefer
Eagles in Flight
This is my specialty and passion - life sized, hand carved eagles in flight.
These magnificent works are made to be suspended overhead in large rooms. Many have 7 foot wingspans. The feathers on all surfaces are deeply detailed so they can be appreciated from a distance.They are anatomically accurate, artistically inspired and aerodynamically true .
"My work creates an awe-inspiring visual vacation for all who enter your room. As the day progresses and shadows change, different highlights emerge, adding to your enjoyment. You can absolutely feel these birds' presence in your room, and you and your guests will delight in the experience! "
CaPTURE!
This eagle has a 4 foot wingspan, and is portrayed carrying off a struggling fish. The pose is pure ferocity. No apology is made to the unlucky fish, caught in the predator's grasp!capture!
capture!
bad intentions
This eagle has a 6 foot wingspan, and is portrayed flying in to take what he wants from the stream or possibly from another eagle. His mood is smouldering aggression. His right foot hangs low in anticipation of enclosing his prey. This bird was designed to be part of a scene, where he spies another eagle catching a fish, and is coming in to steal it away!bad intentions
Morning Hunt
This eagle has a 7 foot wingspan, and portrayed as the master of the skies, seen just after takeoff, dropping down from his perch to begin the day’s hunt. The eagle hangs in the home of a private collector overlooking Lake Texoma. The view from below captures the eagle’s expression of powerful flight, and the balcony view provides closeup enjoyment of the deep carving detail in the wings and tail as the bird soars down to the lake below.
morning hunt
.morning hunt
Prize catch
This eagle has a 7 foot wingspan, and is portrayed snatching a salmon from the river to carry home for his young. An eagle this size would weigh just 11 pounds and his maximum lifting ability is an amazing 4-1/2 pounds. In this composition, the fish is scaled that size, making this the eagle’s prize catch! The expression is a combination of strain and excitement, as the powerful wings propel the bird upward while the tail tilts to counterbalance the fish swinging out from the momentum of the bird’s strike.prize catch
prize catch
prize catch
pursuit
“Pursuit” is a 7' wingspan eagle portrayed in full attack mode, coming in to take his prey. In this work, special attention was paid to the effect of airflow on the wings: An eagle tilts his wings forward at the last minute to slow down enough to grab a fish. As he does so, he raises the feathers in the top center of the leading edge of each wing, forming a "slot", which allows him to slow down without falling from the sky. At the same time, the feathers on other surfaces of the wings begin to lift up as the airflow is disrupted across their surface.
pursuit
pursuit
The feathers are highlighted to mimic sunlight reflected off the river.pursuit
Imagine this silhouette against your window at sunset!