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John Leslie Wilson:John Leslie Wilson, known to everyone in the Ottawa Valley as "Les", and in old times as "Jack's son" , was born in Douglas Ontario, He was schooled there and at the Renfrew Colligate. As a teenager he went to Windsor Ontario to live with his uncle and complete his secondary education at Walkerville Collegiate, specializing in tool and die work. He carved and won a number of prizes at the Renfrew Fair, One of his original patterns is still in his son's home.
Les was a Wireless Air Gunner in the R.C.A.F during the second World War and after being wounded , trained in Photography at Rockliffe Air Base. Discharged in 1946 he returned to Windsor where while working for Ford Motor Company he trained as a watchmaker and continued his carving making spiral ashtray stands and a scale model of the Bluenose from a split cedar rail taken from the family farm. He returned to the Valley in approximately 1954 to work for Atomic Energy of Canada as an Instrumentation Mechanic, working there until his retirement in the late 1980's.
During his retirement Les continued to repair watches and clocks and turned his carving to decorative decoys and songbirds. His love of wildlife and precision work skills combined to create the beautiful work represented here. He completed 23 pieces with feathering burned in place before painting the bodies. Each piece is signed and dated and although there were many opportunities to sell his work, he always declined, carving only for his personal enjoyment and his family; Marjory his wife, his daughterWendy and his son Wayne.
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Les Wilson with two of his carvings1990
Deep River, Ontario
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Hooded Meganzer Male Carved by Les Wilson of Deep River, Ontario. The Hooded Meganzer's range is from Southern Alaska, across southern Canada, south mainly to Oregon, Wyoming, Iowa, eastern Missouri, eastern Arkansas, and western Tennessee. It winters in southern British Columbia, The Great Lakes and Massachusets south to the Gulf of Mexico.4
Hooded Meganzer Male Carved by Les Wilson1980's
Deep River, Ontario
Credits:The Birds of Canada by W. Earl Godfrey
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Great Horned Owl Carved by Les Wilson of Deep River, Ontario in 1991. This bird's range extends over North and South America (except for the West Indies) from the northern limit of trees , south to the Straits of Magellen. There is limited migration and wandering.6
Great Horned Owl Carved by Les Wilson1991
Deep River, Ontario
Credits:The Birds of Canada by W. Earl Godfrey
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Adult Robin and family Carved by Les Wilson of Deep River, Ontario in 1989. The Robin breeds from the limit of trees in Alaska and across Canada, south to southern Mexico and the Gulf Coast of the United States. It winters from southern Canada southward to Guatemala and southern Florida.8
Adult Robin and family Carved by Les Wilson1989
Deep River, Ontario
Credits:The Birds of Canada by W. Earl Godfrey
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Loon Carved by Les Wilson of Deep River, Ontario in 1986.10
Loon Carved by Les Wilson1986
Deep River, Ontario
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Wood Duck Carved by Les Wilson of Deep River, Ontario 1986. The Wood Duck breeds from southern British Columbia and North western Montana, south to central California; and from southern Manitoba to Nova Scotia and south to the eastern Dakotas, eastern Kansas, east-central Texas , the Gulf Coast and Cuba. It winters south to central Mexico.12
Wood Duck Carved by Les Wilson1986
Deep River, Ontario
Credits:The Birds of Canada by W. Earl Godfrey
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Black Duck Carved by Les Wilson of Deep River, Ontario in 1986. This duck breeds from northern Manitoba, east to Labrador and Newfoundland and south to northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and eastern Virginia. It winters from southeastern Canada to Texas, tha Gulf stated, Florida and Bermuda.14
Black Duck Carved by Les Wilson1986
Deep River, Ontario
Credits:The Birds of Canada by W. Earl Godfrey
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