About John Owen

John Owen works full time as a decoy artist in Rockbridge County, VA, where he lives with his Lexington-born wife, Anne. He was born in England in 1939 and retired from the British Army in June 1991 after a 33-year career, reaching the rank of colonel in 1987.

Owen's repertoire is eclectic. His greatest enjoyment is in waterfowl, including ducks, geese, swans, herons, egrets, pelicans, penguins, loons and shorebirds, but he also makes fish, owls, woodpeckers and various songbirds. John carves his decoys from scratch using a variety of soft and hard woods, and finishes them in a range of styles including primitive, distressed, and finely detailed, textured and painted. He blends his own stains and waxes to bring a warm mellow glow to his polished birds.

Although largely self-taught following an inspirational visit to the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1980, John has taken formal instruction from renowned English carver Pauline McGowan, from whom he learned the finer points of feather texturing.

John has demonstrated his craft on PBS and HGTV. His birds are in numerous collections in Europe and North America and have appeared in Early American Homes Magazine's Directory of Traditional American Crafts for 1988 and 2001. His work may be seen at Artists in Cahoots in Lexington, VA, and The Village Craftsman in Ocracoke, NC.

John is happy to accept commissions and guarantees 100% satisfaction. Since all works are individually hand carved and finished, no two will be exactly alike. Call John at (540) 463-5742 or use the e-mail link above if you have any questions or would like to place an order.