Original Standing Eastern Turkey

Our Price: $1,100.00

Time To Ship: 5 Days

Master Carver and Master Painter

            Sam and Lilly Nottleman live along Highway 61 south of Winona Minnesota nestled on the Nottleman Homestead where their home and studio overlook the beautiful Mississippi River and the rolling bluffs of Trempealeau Wisconsin.  Sam grew up in this rural environment thrilled and engrossed by the wonder of the great waterfowl migrations each spring and fall had to offer.  Lilly was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, just miles down the river from the Nottleman homestead.  While Sam was earning his degree in Art at Winona State University, Lilly attended Viterbo College in LaCrosse.

            The two married in 1987 and now have two lovely daughters, Daisy and Hattie.  Their mutual interest in folk art and waterfowl has been integrated into a great marriage of carving and painting, resulting in the creation of some of the most exceptional and decorative decoys in the world.

            Sam initiated his shaping experience in 1988 by carving songbirds with the encouragement of Mike Lidgerding, who at the time owned the Wild Wings Gallery in Rochester, Minnesota. By the early 1990’s Sam and Lilly were enthusiastically creating wildlife sculptures for Loon Lake Decoy Company of Wabasha, Minnesota.  The relationship with Loon Lake Decoy Company has continued since then and to this day Sam is a business partner with the company. 

           

Creating A Masterpiece

            The process of creating a decoy for Sam begins with the block of tupelo wood, which is harvested from a swamp tree in Louisiana.  Sam then draws patterns inspired by his own mounted birds which ultimately results a realistic work of art.  The shaping process is completed with carbide grinder beginning with a coarse grinder and eventually a finer tool.  The wood shaping process itself takes over 100 hours per bird and the larger birds such as geese may take up to 400 hours.  The detailed feather patterns are accomplished by the use of a burning pen and take up to three to four weeks per bird. 

            The finishing colors and the detailed paint patterns are created by Lilly.  She uses acrylic paints and brushes of all kinds ranging from a 1 inch to a 1/6 inch brush.  She also uses an air brush to blend the multiple colors to give the final product a more realistic and life-like feel.  Lilly’s favorite bird to create is the colorful Drake Wood Duck, due to the extraordinary color patterns.  She has created some of the most beautiful color schemes in the world as a part of  Loon Lake Decoy Company’s waterfowl and upland game birds collections!            

            The final creation is a bird that represents the life-like qualities and characteristics of the natural bird.  The Nottlemans are noted for their capacity to create the most life-like wildlife sculptures in the world, and add action poses. This characteristic has separated the work of Sam and Lilly Nottleman from other carvers around the world, and sparked the interest in some famous owners of wildlife sculptures such as Paul Harvey, Norman Schwarzkopf, Richard Mears and many others.  The Nottlemans birds have been secured by many national organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, The National Rifle Association, Pheasants Forever, Quail Unlimited, The National Dove Society, The National Wild Turkey Federation, The Safari Club and the Delta Water Fowler Association.  Sam and Lilly strive for innovation and creativity and promise to keep coming out with new and exciting sculptures in the future.  Keep an eye out for what they will create next.

          Make sure to visit our Sam and Lilly Originals page where we are displaying and selling just some of the brillinat work from the talented duo.