Eagle Woodcarving c. 1939

Willard Hazen made this Eagle Woodcarving, and you can see it's so carefully worked. I can imagine him picking up his tools, maybe a chisel and mallet, starting with a rough block of wood, just beginning to coax the image of the eagle out from within it. What might Hazen have been thinking as he carved each feather, each contour of the eagle's head? Maybe he was thinking about the symbolism of the eagle – freedom, power, the wild. Or maybe he was just lost in the process, letting his hands and tools do the talking. I really appreciate the painted details, that little red beak just brings the whole sculpture to life. It reminds me of other folk artists who also found beauty and meaning in the everyday. Artists are constantly responding to what came before, building on traditions, but also pushing against them. Hazen's eagle embodies this spirit of both reverence and innovation, and is like a tangible expression of his inner world, a way of making sense of the world through his hands and his craft.