Rich Chmiel has been carving hunting decoys since the mid 1980's. His traditional hunting decoys have been awarded numerous ribbons at many carving competitions. Aside from being a Board member of the Connecticut Waterfowlers Association, Rich also serves on the Connecticut State Duck Stamp Committee. Rich often makes his decoys available for fund raising events, among them are the CWA banquet, Delta Waterfowl, and the Make a Wish Foundation. His carvings are in collections across the country. Almost exclusively, Maine white cedar is used for the carvings which are then finished with artist oil paints using time honored methods such as scratch painting, combing, and cloth blending. He can be reached via email at richchmiel@sbcglobal.net or via phone at 860-739-5586.