2024 SCVBA Silent Auction

This year’s auction features an assortment of Jack Cole’s spectacular wood carvings, collectable out-of-print books, framed and unframed prints and original works as well as few miscellaneous items that might make the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one. Spread a little joy this holiday season by bidding high and helping our year-end fundraising campaign.

ARTISTS

JACK COLE: "I started carving 40 years ago. I didn’t know what kind of wood to use, and only used profiles from field guides. As a result the heads were too skinny. I eventually threw all those away. For several years I sold them for $100, and they financed a birding trip I took with a friend for 20 years. Then I began just giving them to friends, and even some people I never knew or met. I’ve mailed them around the country, and even to England. I got my basswood from Southern Lumber until it burned down. Now I have blocks mailed from a lumber yard near my hometown in upper Michigan. I began by just carving ducks native to North America, but soon added ducks, loons, grebes, swans and geese from around the world. The only tools I use are a band saw, an X-Axto knife and two grades of sandpaper. And of course wood putty. I buy the glass eyes from a taxidermist. The most common question I’m asked is how long does one take. If the painting isn’t too complex, and if I worked 8 hours a day, the answer is about 4 days. I suspect I’ve carved at least 300, multiples of some species. The most: wood ducks, 4 at once. I "worked" at the front desk for over 20 years for one or two Saturdays a month, and I enjoyed it very much."

ARTHUR SINGER is probably the nation's most published wildlife artist. He has illustrated many books, articles, and magazines covers, among them the book, Birds Of The World, which has been published in seven languages and two editions. It involved almost four years of work and extensive travel. Singer was raised in Manhattan "amidst acres of concrete," but feels that his "happiest moments were either looking at animals in the Bronx Zoo, or on short summer vacations in the mountains." He attended Cooper Union Art School graduating in 1939, and was later awarded the school's St. Gaudens medal. Singer is one of the few wildlife artists ever elected a fellow in the American Ornithological Union. His love for nature and the out-of-doors has helped him to reach his goal of "reproducing nature accurately, but beautifully so that it stands on its own as art. The choice I made to work in the field of nature art has been a most gratifying one," says Singer.

For other artist biographies, see the individual item descriptions.

The Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance (SCVBA) promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of birds and other wildlife by engaging people of all ages in birding, education, and conservation.

Proceeds from this auction go to support all of our education and conservation programs. For more information, go to https://scvbirdalliance.org