Two bald eagles battle in the sky. Their long wings clash like great swords while their quick beaks pick and tear at one another. They whirl and dance, press together and swoop apart.

Clasped in one of the raptor鈥檚 talons is each one鈥檚 desire: a living venomous diamondback rattlesnake.

It鈥檚 more than a fight for their next meal though. It鈥檚 a struggle between birds of prey that will end in one eagle鈥檚 death.

In a desperate bid to preserve its life, the viper strikes its long fangs at the doomed eagle grasping it.

鈥淗e鈥檚 going to fall out of the sky,鈥� says Comox sculptor Wes Seeley of the envisioned battle. 鈥淎nd once the venom goes through him, the other one is going to get lunch.鈥�

Seeley has had about 2,500 hours to consider their struggle. The life-sized wooden sculpture, which is really two eagle sculptures connected at the wings, took him a year to build.

From his working days on a boom boat, Seeley would observe the graceful movements of soaring bald eagles. He would listen to their guttural and shrill calls, and witness their ferocity and dominance of the sky.

Now in his retirement he brings those memories to life again. The representations are made from the trees on which eagles waited to spy their next prey.

Meticulously cut feather pieces of yellow and red cedar add a texture to the broad wings. Two-toned aromatic cedar adorns special parts of the wings, 鈥淭hey鈥檙e nice and dark,鈥� explains Seeley. 鈥淎nd [they] have a little blonde in there too.鈥�

The aroma of sawed cedar is pervasive in his 20-by-30-foot workshop. A squat black woodstove burns his reject pieces on cold winter days. Seeley estimates around 1,800 individual pieces go into one eagle project, but says he鈥檚 never counted.

He recently sold two other eagles to custumers in Wyoming. One completed eagle sells for around $70,000. As for his latest sculpture of two eagles fighting over a rattlesnake, Seeley hasn鈥檛 set a price.

鈥淚鈥檓 open to offers,鈥� he says.

Selling the sculpture would allow him to build a bigger shop on his Comox property. He only has room in his garage-made-workshop for one project at a time.

鈥淢y ultimate goal is to have two or three pieces I can work on simultaneously,鈥� he explains.

The local artist grew up on Quadra Island and learned to swim around Rebecca Spit. He began sculpting eagles in 2011. Before that, he created detailed fish boat replicas.

Seeley has ingrained himself in the artistic community and feels positive about the Valley鈥檚 art scene.

鈥淭here鈥檚 so many great artists around,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all so supportive of each other. It鈥檚 just such a creative community.鈥�

If his garage door is open stop by and check out his sculptures for yourself at 2211 Gull Ave in Comox. He might be blaring Michael Jackson鈥檚 Number Ones but welcomes visitors. Maybe he鈥檒l tell you about his next ambitious project.

鈥淐an you imagine four eagles in a globe shape?鈥� he says with a smile. 鈥淭he sky鈥檚 the limit now.鈥�

Dave Flawse, Special to The Comox Valley Record

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