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Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Awards
MTAAP
application form (PDF)
MTAAp application
form (word)
^MTAAP Awardees List^
 Willy
McDonald (l) and Brian Ballard (r)
Photo by LuAnne Kozma
William "Willy" McDonald and Brian C. Ballard
2009 master artist and apprentice
Delton and Hopkins (Barry County)
waterfowl decoy carver
Willy McDonald first tried his hand at carving after watching a street vendor
carve trinkets. He carved toys until he decided to study music, which led
to a career as a professional musician and entertainer. In this profession,
he was occasionally invited as an emcee to Ducks Unlimited banquets, which
rekindled his interest in carving. Today he is devoted to making working
waterfowl decoys, what he calls "carving for the hunt." Willy
credits his grandfathers and other master carvers for his early experience
and influences in woodworking. He conducts classes on painting and carving
decoys, writes articles, makes public presentations, and sells materials
relevant to waterfowling. In 2007 he received a Michigan
Heritage Award. Brian C. Ballard, of Hopkins, is apprenticing with Willy
to learn to make traditional hunting decoys.
See more of Willy's work at his website: http://www.theduckblind.com/
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