Adaniga “Nigel” Marks

Nigel Marks earned his living making cabinets, wagons and sleighs; carving decoys was a secondary activity. Even so, Marks produced about one hundred goose, brant and black duck decoys for both personal use and public sale. Overall, Marks’ birds have a tendency to appear large and plump as they preen their sides and backs, sleep, feed and swim. Marks shaped the small breasts of his decoys to flow in the same direction as the neck which allowed him to carve a wide variety of head and neck positions. The heads and long necks of the birds were of one or two pieces of wood, depending on the wood itself. Probably the most distinct feature of Marks’ carving, though, is the wing carving. Contrary to the typical Prince Edward Island simplicity, Marks carved the wings in relief and crossed the tips. This feature is apparent on other decoys from the area and displays the spread of Marks’ creative influence.