Grayson Chesser

Grayson Chesser has been carving decoys on his native Eastern Shore of Virginia for 40 years.

Inspired by the isolation of the shore, salt marshes, Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, Grayson also took inspiration from such carvers as Nathan Cobb, Umbrella Watson and Miles Hancock.

In 2003 the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities named Grayson a Virginia Master Folk Artist. He was chosen as Honorary Chairman of the Havre de Grace Decoy Show and served as Artist of the Year for numerous Ducks Unlimited chapters. His work has been shown in many museums and is in some of the country’s finest decoy collections. Grayson has taught carving classes for the Ward Foundation and the Eastern Shore Community College.

Grayson's decoys are carved in the classic decoy style of the past. He carves using traditional tools and methods, making his decoys of hollowed pine or cedar. Many of his brant, geese, and heron have heads carved from limbs, which give them wonderful natural curves. All of Grayson's birds are painted with oils, which age to a warm patina.

www.chesserdecoys.com    

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