I always wore an eagle bola and was often amazed by how frequently I was stopped and asked about my tie that I took to carrying business cards with me to hand out;
this led to a surprising experience.

Surprise experience number 1.

While on vacation in Colorado a lady stopped me, told me how much she admired my tie and that her husband loved eagles. I gave her a business card and thought no more about it. Five years later I got a phone call, would I make an eagle bola for her husband.

Surprise experience number 2.

A wood carver friend of mine who always wore one of my ties, was hiking in a very remote part of Yosemite National Park and ran into a stranger whose opening remark was “You must know Joe Monks, you’re wearing one of his ties and so am I”

It brought to mind the oft quoted “Doctor Livingstone I Presume”

I t was at this time, that I realized I had made all this effort photographing eagles, drawing up designs from my photographs and doing the marquetry but I had nothing to show for it apart from some extra cash.

I did however still have all the designs, so I decided to use them to make something that I could keep for myself.

I selected four of my designs and from them made a pair of pictures.

When the cutting was completed I was thinking of how to mount them when I realised that the Suede leather I had been using to line boxes was very close to the same colour as the background veneer and so I used it to edge the two pictures.

The colour is very close so it is just the texture that changes and I think it is very effective.

I keep the pair hung in a prominent place and every time I look at them I’m reminded of good times and good friends.