Ruddy Turnstone Bird Carving by Pat Gardner

Rare Ruddy Turnstone bird carving by Nantucket artist Pat Gardner (1926-2001). Original paint, mounted with wire legs on a driftwood stump,  signed and dated 1981 on bottom. Measures 6 ½" H x 7" L x 2 ¾" W.

Biography: Mary Patricia Gardner was born and lived her whole life on Nantucket. She studied under Frank Swift Chase, Ruth Haviland Sutton and Earl S. Ray, and was influenced by her grandfather Wallace Gardner who was a trained sculptor. She became a member of the Artist’s Association of Nantucket in 1947. She was best known for her shorebird carvings, but also worked in watercolor and printmaking. She is viewed as one of the greater talents of her generation on Nantucket; her work rarely appears on the market.