Wilfred R. Dalzell. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Saint John, New Brunswick. Active mid 20th century.
Wilfred Dalzell made delicate painted carvings of birds; often seagulls and Canada Geese. Many had open wings and were mounted in pairs on pieces of drift wood. His carvings were always painted and some tend to be very fragile. They were always signed with a gummed label.
From information supplied by a family member (his grand-niece): “he would collect pieces of drift-wood during walks and for wings he used bentwood from the corners of produce baskets. The legs are painted paper clips. Wlifred,Dalzell grew up on Grand Manan Island where his father was the keeper of Shadowtail Lighthouse. It is not difficult to see why he chose gulls on rocks as his subject matter.”*
(There were possibly other carvers in the same family.)
A Wilfred Dalzell Seagull and his label:
Wilfred R. Dalzell. Sculptor. Saint John New Brunswick. Seagull. 550
Wilfred R. Dalzell. Woodcarver. Saint John New Brunswick. His mark.
*My thanks to his grand-niece for her kind emails.
