Robert Searles

My parents had a personal relationship with Robert Searles and his wife for many years. Our family has a number of his works including a full size ruffed grouse carved in basswood. Each feather was hand carved and painted individually. It's an incredible piece of art and has been in our collection for 40+ years. My parents have both passed as of late last year. This piece will either be offered to the Woodson Museum in Wausau Wisconsin or at auction in the near future. We also have a number of porcelains that Mr. Searles and his wife worked on as a team. They were an interesting and extremely talented couple.

 

In my early taxidermy career I did some bird carving but didn't save any of it because I didn't think it was very good. Please, post a picture of your dad's grouse. Let us enjoy viewing this family treasure/heirloom of yours.

 

Robert K. Searles
C.1980
Title: Command Performance Strutting Ruffed Grouse
Basswood carving

 

I hate people like that. Why were they blessed with all that talent and then people like me can’t even set eyes right. We have some fish carvers here and at every show I’ll sit down with them and tell them how much I hate them for creating such lifelike pieces out of firewood.