THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 9, 1995 TAG: 9509090283
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Think of wildlife and wood carvings, and what comes to mind? Duck decoys? Swan statues? Backyard birds with propellers for wings?
Not if you're Waterlily folk artist Franklin Etheridge.
Sure, the 62-year-old can whittle a decent duck or slender egret. But Etheridge has made his mark with such incongruous creations as a Santa Claus sleigh pulled by alligators and a 24-inch bass with a pig's head.
``I called it a bass-hog one time,'' said Etheridge, who will be the guest artist today at the Peck Basket country store in Sligo.
Etheridge's appearance from 11 am. to 2 p.m. at the shop on N.C. Route 168 is a spin-off of the 14th Annual Currituck Wildlife Festival this weekend.
``We'll have a sign up that says `Welcome Wildlifers.' We want to encourage people to come to the festival,'' said shop owner Frances Walker.
The wildlife festival is one of mainland Currituck County's biggest fetes, normally drawing as many as 1,500 people from across the Albemarle area and southeastern Virginia.
Proceeds from adult admissions, which are $3 for one day and $5 for both, benefit the Currituck Wildlife Guild Museum fund. The Guild plans to house its collection of artifacts at the historic Whalehead Club in Corolla.
The party begins 10 a.m. today at Currituck County High School in Barco with a ribbon-cutting by honorary guild member Aubrey Snowden.
Festival visitors can peruse the wildlife art, wood carvings, decoys and photography. New this year is a retriever demonstration.
Children up to 12 years old may be interested in the free decoy-painting contest at 10 a.m. that is open to the first 24 participants.
The main events that day include a shore bird contest at noon and duck-goose-and-swan calling contest at 7 p.m.
During the calling competition, contest organizers will kill the lights in the auditorium, and amid the darkness will come contestants' 90-second renditions of their favorite waterfowl sounds.
Things heat up the following afternoon at 1 p.m. when a blackduck decoy and other items will be auctioned.
The festival will come to a close shortly after a 4 p.m. raffle for a Browning Gold 12-gauge, semi-automatic shotgun, a framed Bob Dance print of the Whalehead Club and a gift certificate from Frisco's Restaurant in Kitty Hawk.
Though not a direct part of the festival, Etheridge's visit to the Walker store in Sligo was influenced by the happenings down the highway.
``I want to show the Wildlife Festival is good for Currituck by bringing people in,'' Walker said. ``It just helps encourage people to come into the county.''
Etheridge, a native of Spot, served more than a decade as a deputy with the Currituck County Sheriff's Department after retiring from the civil service.
His woodworks have been sold to such celebrities as broadcaster Charles Kurault and have been featured in Southern Living magazine, Walker said.
Etheridge credits Walker with helping him become established in the folk art field after he first took up the trade and then quit.
``Mrs. Walker encouraged me to start back. In fact, she bought the first life-sized egret I did, without even seeing it.''
The Currituck Wildlife Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, Staff
Franklin Etheridge has turned his passion for carving decoys into a
for-commission wood-carving business. His artistry will be featured
at this weekend's Currituck County Wildlife Festival.
by CNB