Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips of Gill bases his carvings on wildlife photographs, first creating a rough silhouette with a bandsaw. He then uses grinders to create a blank, further shaping the figure with hand knives and sandpaper. Phillips prefers to use local Basswood, because it carves easily, and he uses a variety of found wood for the bases. He blends his own stains, sometimes trying to match a found base. His first carving, in 1992, was of an American curlew, and all of his shorebirds, which Phillips describes as “primitive,” evoke old-time decoys from the 1800s and early 1900s. Birds continue to be well-represented in his portfolio, but his favorite piece is a fisher cat, ready to pounce. He often tries to capture challenging poses, like a loon emerging from the water.

Phillips grew up in Heath and Buckland, fishing, hunting, and hiking, and he still spends lots of time outdoors with his wife and kids. His grandfather had been a carver and his mother and aunts painted, so he grew up with art, as well as nature, all around him. He devotes much of his spare time on nights and weekends to carving his animals and birds and his work has been featured at the Salmon Falls shop in Shelburne, MA, and is now available at the North Quabbin Woods showroom.

Michael Phillips
153 Main St.
Gill, MA 01354

Phone: (413) 863-9378
Email: phillips599@msn.com