“Leo Reigns Supreme” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Venerable lion has an expression that says he has seen it all. Probably true and no one would doubt the king of the jungle at this point in his life. Adams really nails it with this one. Love the way the shadows fall on the mane and face. He sets it off with a light background of blue stipple. Masterful touch, indeed. This is done on a very thick piece of first rate mammoth ivory. Great work by one of the best working today.
“Winter Wolf Hunting” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk bark by David Adams. Stealthy hunting wolf portrayed in snow clad forest, alert and hungry. Adams is just brilliant using the natural tones of the mammoth ivory white contrasted with the black tones of the wolf and background detail. This is what black and white scrimshaw should be. Really amazing composition here.
“Wolf in Winter” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by David Adams. Wolf carefully stalks an unseen prey after heavy winter snowfall. A badger, hidden in his burrow, watches. The shading of the snow on the branches is simply amazing. One can feel the extreme cold and almost hear the rippling water in the stream. Note how Adams has worked the distant forest in the background. Wildlife scrimshaw does not get any better than this. Primo heavy chunk of ancient walrus tusk ivory completes the picture.
“Bengal Mother and Cub” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory bark by David Adams. Cub wants to play or get fed while mom appears to want a bit of solitude. Most parents know the feeling. The window in the bark provides a natural frame. Very nice work.
“Great Horned Owlets” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory bark by David Adams. These fuzzy pair look like they will soon take flight. The window polished into the ivory bark provides a perfect natural frame for Adams’ exceptional scrimshaw. Great Horned Owl young remain in the nest for about six weeks, then climb out onto nearby branches. They begin taking short flights at seven weeks, and can fly well at 9-10 weeks.
“Call of the Mammoth” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Leader of the herd trumpets a call to everyone around, not only other mammoths, but to potential predators. Excellent work by outstanding scrimshander, Adams. Leaving the outer bark intact provides a perfect frame of sorts for this artwork.
“Majestic Big Horn Sheep” color scrimshaw on flat slab of ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. This is hands down one of the very best wildlife pieces we have ever had, and that includes hundreds and hundreds of fine pieces by the best working over the past 40 years. This one ranks right up there with the very best Dorning pieces (not his production work), but the very top end pieces. That being said, take some time to study this masterpiece by Adams. Note the hazy mountains in the background, and, yes, a river runs through it. Everyone who has seen it in person feels the same way about this one (WOW!). The stand of bloodwood and curly maple is angled properly and compliments the work perfectly. Very few like this become available today.
“Smiling Mermaid” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory artifact by David Adams. Nestled in shadows, this mermaid seems quite pleased. One wonders just what caused this pleasant smile on her charming face. Every piece can tell a story with just a little imagination. This is done on a stunning artifact used as a scraping tool hundreds of years ago by natives in the Northern Bering Sea area. Not much of this type of ivory available today.
“Pensive Blonde Mermaid” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory artifact by David Adams. One wonders just what is going through this attractive mermaid’s mind. She definitely has a plan. Approaching mariners beware. Amazing detail in the rocky shoreline by equally amazing scrimshander, Adams. He rarely does mermaids these days, so this one is a welcome addition. Ivory probably used as a digging tool hundreds of years ago.
“Pirates on the Run” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. Three armed vessels have a pirate ship on the run. It appears that the pirates will easily outrun the three, as they are seen lagging in the distance. Unusual subject matter for scrimshander, Adams, but he knocks it out of the park. The detail on the prow of the pirate ship is amazing. Note the breaking waves. Very solid piece of mammoth ivory on this one.