SCRIMSHAW ARTIST View all David Adams scrimshaw pieces Scrimshaw artist biography coming soon.
“Vigilant Lone Wolf” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory bark by David Adams. Perched high upon a snow covered ledge, this guy is looking for his next meal. Amazing how Adams manages to capture the spirit of his subject matter, animal or human. Thick ivory mounted on a handsome stand, this one is outstanding.
“Battling Rams” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. The expression “butting heads” immediatrely comes to mind. These two are out to prove which one is the tougher. The winner gets the harem, the loser looks for another mountain. Survival of the fittest. Great work by Adams on this very nice piece of mammoth bark/.
“Big Horn Sheep Family” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Entire family portrait of this incredible animal. Found throughout mountains in the West, from Canada to Mexico, these big horn sheep can traverse very thin ledges some as narrow as two inches! Scrimshander Adams has used precise stippling to maximum effect. It appears the entire has heard some type of noise to the right as they all are at attention. Excellent work, as usual, from Adams.
“Giant Octopus Attack!” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory tusk by David Adams. Crewmen surprised by attack scurry to safety, if possible. This is worse than the Kraken threat as the giant can attack with eight deadly arms, completely crushing the ship. Something different for collectors. Very thick piece of mammoth ivory completes the picture.
“Giant Octopus Victory!” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory slab by David Adams. Crewmen have abandoned the doomed ship. The giant octopus has begun to crush the unfortunate vessel. Tales will be told if the crew are fortunate enough to encounter another vessel. Excellent work by Adams. Quite different from the usual format of scrimshaw. Rare flat slab of mammoth ivory perfect for this composition.
“Clipper all Alone” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Vastness of the open ocean portrayed here by Adams. The mammoth ivory has stunning color, the result of minerals that have been absorbed into the tusk over thousands and thousands of years.
“Ship in Heavy Seas” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Furled sails in heavy weather depicted by Adams. Excellent detail. Look closely and you can see two crewmen in working on deck in the prow of the vessel. Note the detail on the ship’s prow as well. Excellent work by Adams who usually does not do nautical scenes. A keeper.
“Broken Line!” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Furled sails as storm approaches, except for one broken line. Someone has to scale the mast and attempt to secure the line. Really admire the way Adams has added this element of danger to the piece, not the usual sailing clipper. Sign of a well versed scrimshander.
“Ships Crossing Paths” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams..One going east, the other, west. Often they would trade information of home, known as a “gam”. This was long before electronic communications became commonplace. Very nice thick piece of primo mammoth ivory here and scrimshander, Adams, has done an excellent job. Adams does not create many nautical works, but this shows he ranks right up there with the very best. Bargain price for such work by Adams.