Hand Carved Decoys

Vernon Bryant-

Sandpiper Gallery is pleased to offer the traditional gunning style decoys of Captain Vernon Bryant of the famed Susquehanna Flats region of the Upper Chesapeake Bay. 

The Susquehanna Flats is an area with a rich heritage of hunting and fishing watermen. Captain Bryant is the third generation of a family that has made a living as hunters, fishermen, boat builders, and gunning guides in the area.

Vernon has a vast knowledge of the Chesapeake Bay and its waterfowl. The detail and subtle use of colors he incorporates into his carvings demonstrate this. He was recognized as the 1999 Carver of the Year and 2000 James Holly Reproduction Contest, 1st Place recipient by the highly acclaimed Havre de Grace Decoy Museum. His works represent stunning examples of traditional gunning style decoys native to the area.

Johnny Day-

Johnny Day is a life long resident of the Chesapeake Bay area. Although considered a youngster in the carving world, Johnny is proving to be one the the up and coming carvers to watch. 

Johnny recently won Best of Show for his decorative miniature Kingfishers, at the 20th annual Havre de Grace Decoy, Wildlife Art, and Sportsman festival. This nationally recognized event is sponsored by the highly acclaimed Havre de Grace Decoy Museum. Johnny has one numerous awards from other national competitions including the Ward World Competition. 

Johnny's ability to capture the lifelike expressions of his waterfowl subjects is a gift, which only the finest carvers posses. 

Chesapeake Santa's©

The Annapolis area is home to Amy Maddox, one of the few female carvers in the Chesapeake Bay area. Amy is a promising novice carver who is making a name for herself in the carving world. For the past two years, she has received awards for her creations at the Havre de Grace Carving Competition for her rendition of miniature waterfowl.

In addition to her decorative bird carvings, Amy is the creator of the popular line of hand carved folk art Chesapeake Santa's©. She credits her mother as the inspiration for this line. In 1995 she carved her first Santa holding the family Springer Spaniel dog, Coree. Today, the Chesapeake Santa's© line has been expanded to include Santa holding various waterfowl, herons, fish, and pets. Some even feature birds standing on Santa’s head.