Capt. Bill Collins - The Art of the Decoy: Kathi Ferguson

from Tidewater Times February 2021

Tilghman ~ Bay Hundred

Captain Bill Collins The Art of the Decoy by Kathi Ferguson

Captain Bill Collins was in the process of painting the feathers on a mallard drake decoy as he shared highlights of his journey to becoming one of the most sought-after decoy carvers and painters in the state of Maryland. “There are two different elements of this art,” he informed me. “Carving and painting. Fortunately, I have become proficient at both.”

In the early days, carvings were created as “working” decoys, used by hunters to attract ducks, geese

Collins with a mallard hen in his right hand and an American widgeon in his left.

and other waterfowl into shooting range. This is where Collins started ~ making decoys as a tool. “Carving has developed into more of an art form and is much more detailed,” Bill claims. “In today’s world, decoys are less of a necessity and more of a luxury. Collectors often focus on a particular style of decoy, paint style or maker and have become more discriminating in what they purchase.”

Born and raised in Perryville, Maryland, like most carvers, Bill always loved the outdoors and began hunting and fishing at an early age. “I was ten or twelve years old when my dad took me and my

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brother, James, squirrel hunting,” says Bill. “My first experience in making decoys came when I was in high school. James also taught me about waterfowl hunting, and we worked repairing and painting our own decoys.”

Collins’ pathway to becoming a full-time decoy carver was much less conventional, however. After graduating high school in 1967, Bill spent a year studying computer programming in Baltimore but soon realized it was not for him. What next?

The loss of his grandparents came not long after Bill entered college in 1968. During the course of their funeral services, the thought of becoming a funeral di-

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rector struck a nerve. “I remember thinking, this might be a good profession because you are helping people when they can’t help themselves,” Bill explains. As luck would have it, he landed an apprenticeship at a funeral home in Havre de Grace, Maryland, with a gentleman by the name of R. Madison Mitchell. Mitchell promptly informed Bill that part of his job when not working on a funeral would be making duck decoys. A match made in heaven!

Mitchell had a small shop behind the funeral home where he worked on his carvings when business was slow. After taking up the craft in The shop and tools of the trade. It’s OK to ask for help.

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1924, Mitchell carved tens of thousands of decoys throughout his 60year career and helped teach and mentor carvers of future generations along the way. Mitchell’s style became characterized by carefully detailed feather painting executed with world-class precision.

His first day on the job, Bill was shown how to turn miniature bodies on the lathe. (A lathe is a device designed to hold a section of material to be shaped. Unlike a simple vise, a lathe not only holds a workpiece but also rotates it over a sawblade to remove excess wood.) Step by step, procedure by procedure, Mr. Mitchell continued to thoughtfully guide and instruct young Collins on all of the initial stages of

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making decoys, soon granting him free reign to experiment on his own. Learning to carve the head was next ~ a step for which Mr. Mitchell’s “blessing” was required halfway through the process before Bill could move toward its completion.

After finishing his apprenticeship with Mitchell, Collins decided to “make it official” and attended the College of Mortuary Science in New York City in 1970, successfully completing the one-year course required to become a licensed funeral director. While serving in the Maryland Army National Guard for the next six years, Bill worked for Mitchell as a funeral director, simultaneously honing his skills in the art of crafting decoys. In 1981, Mitchell sold his decoy business to Collins, including the shop, which Bill reopened as Upper Chesapeake Bay Decoys. In 1987, he sold Mr.

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Mitchell’s lathe, machine tools and fixtures to the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, and the shop was reconstructed on the Museum grounds.

An opportunity to move to Centreville, Maryland, which he still calls home, presented itself to Bill in 1984. Plans would soon begin for the construction: not only for a new home for Collins, but for a new shop. Freed up from the rigors of his previous career, Bill’s time was filled carrying hunting parties and working as a charter boat captain out of Tilghman Island while continuing to make decoys.

Collins does all of his carving in a part of the shop separate from where the paint and finishing touches are applied. He starts with the head since it takes the most amount of time and requires a good deal of attention. After laying out his pattern, Collins looks to the bandsaw for cutting out the body before shaping the piece with a drum sander, draw knife, spoke shave and carving knives. “I mainly work with American linden, also known as basswood, and white pine,” says Bill. “Occasionally, I’ll use cedar for some of my pieces.” Once he is satisfied with the carved and sanded piece, oil paint is intricately applied, resulting in a masterfully crafted work of art.

Much goes into this craft be-

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sides skill and love of nature. An accomplished carver such as Bill does a good deal of research on a bird before selecting a pattern that will best represent it. Considering himself a traditionalist, Bill’s preferred style is the flat bottom decoy (versus round bottom). Collins also sketches the bird in various poses, putting his own spin on what he feels it should look like. This, according to Bill, differentiates the decoy makers. “If you hold a duck in your hand, some people see only colors,” he smiles. “But I see the feather pattern, look at the head and bill and study the anatomy of the bird.”

With each carving, Bill Collins blends his inherent knowledge and personal connection to his craft, while continuing to maintain the centuries-old skills that have been passed down from master to ap-

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The Art of the Decoy Grace Decoy Show in 1989 and prentice for generations. Some of rectors for the R. Madison Mitchthe carvers he admires are legends ell Endowment Trust. He has relike Charlie Joiner (1921-2015), ceived the Conservation Award the Ward brothers Stephen Ward from Queen Anne’s County Ducks (1895-1976) and Lemuel T. Ward, Unlimited and several awards of Jr. (1896-1984) and, of course, his appreciation from the R. Madison mentor, R. Madison Mitchell (1901- Mitchell Endowment Trust. 1993). “Each of these folks has influenced my work in some way,” Kathi Ferguson is a freelance says Bill. “And with each project, I writer with a diverse and creative try to improve on the one before it.” professional background. Some of

Collins continues to work on de- her favorite subjects are the peocoys while remaining active with ple, places and history of the EastDucks Unlimited, the Havre de ern Shore. To reach Kathi, email Grace Decoy Museum and the an- kathi@inotherwords.info or visit nual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, her website at www.inotherwordMaryland. He served as the hon- schesapeake.com. orary chairman for the Havre de continues to sit on the Board of DiEASTERN SHORE TITLE COMPANY