How Mark McNair Turns Wood into Working Waterfowl Art (Ep. 738)

Host Katie Burke visits Virginia carver Mark McNair, a lifelong artist shaped by Connecticut folk art, Easton’s decoy scene, and decades of hands‑on craft.

In this conversation recorded at McNair’s marsh‑side home, he traces his path from Guilford, Connecticut to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, sharing mentors, influences, and the community that keeps carving vibrant. You’ll hear how form leads paint, why some heads go to the scrap pile, and how a celebrated swan decoy gathered its story over time. McNair also explains his “alchemist workshop” demos, opening the process to families and new carvers.

• The moment he asked “Who’s in charge here?” and took control of the carve.
• Why form should guide paint—and when paint distracts from the sculpture.
• How mentors (from Madeleine Shar to peers like Cameron McIntyre and Grayson Chesser) shape better work through real critique.
• Building decoys with raised wings and two‑part construction; borrowing ideas from Cobb, Shang Wheeler, Blair, and John English to solve design problems. 
• The liberating lesson of throwing a failed piece in the wood stove and moving on.
• Community moments: Easton Waterfowl Festival, Barrier Island Center’s Meet the Carvers, and teaching with his son Ian.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
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