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About the Artist-Don Briddell
Don
Briddell began his art career in the 2nd grade selling drawings to classmates, one cent
for a black and white drawing and 3 cents for color. Business
doesn't get any more basic than that. As fate
would have it, the famous decoy carvers, Lem
and Steve Ward, lived a half-mile away from Don “through the woods" in
Crisfield, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. Under their guidance learned the trade
that would set the stage for his work life.
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These
famous waterfowl carvers began carving in 1919 after the older brother Steve got home from
WW1. Decoy carving has been a tradition in the area since colonial times. The European
settlers learned the craft from the Native Americans. By the time Don came along, the Ward
Brothers were making decorative decoys too valuable to throw Overboard
(hence the name). Don took up the craft and at age 13 opened his first workshop. |
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