Sherry Brown’s Amazing Artistry

Creating art was all Sherry Brown ever wanted to do. And throughout her life, in some way or another, that’s all she has been doing.

In 2016, a turkey call maker asked her if she was interested in doing art on custom calls. As a lifelong hunter, she ecstatically agreed.

In 2018, she entered a collaboration call with Bob Fulcher for the NWTF Grand National Callmaking Competition, and the pair took home a medal. Then in 2022, she did a sculpted collaboration call with Shawn Kotchey for that year’s GNCC, and they won first place.

In 2023, Brown decided to go solo. She entered the GNCC with a decorative call. Her entry was a sculpted epoxy clay rendering of two gobblers fighting near a fallen tree. The sculpture contained a carved pot call and striker that she created. Brown won the 2023 Amateur Call Maker of the Year, Best of Class 1-3, and the prestigious Earl Mickel Award for Best of Show. She is the first woman and first amateur to win that award, and it marked the first time a sculpture won that honor. In the custom call making world, those are amazing feats.

At the 2024 Grand National Callmaking Contest, Brown and Mike Lapp won first place in Category 29: Collaborative Decorative Turkey Call. Lapp’s Turpin Style Trumpet call was made of holly wood, with a brass ferrule and a turned buffalo horn mouthpiece. Brown’s magnificent artwork shows a carved, painted gobbler bust surrounded with beautifully handburned and painted dogwood blooms.

Although Brown still competes in call making competitions, most of her time is spent crafting custom calls for clients. Her business is called Montana Game Calls, and it’s now her full-time job. Before starting a commissioned piece, she works with each customer to get specific, personal themes for their call. Just one look at Brown’s Facebook page reveals several excellent examples of her artistry.

One of those amazing works features an Ocellated turkey showcased on a slate-over-glass holly wood pot call and striker, with call parts made by Richard Kendall. Another example includes scenes of majestic gobblers showcased on an Alaskan yellow cedar with a maple-top push-pin call made by Mike Lapp. Both feature Brown’s exquisite pyrography art, highlighted in brilliant colors using acrylic or oil paints, or Prismacolor pencils. All artwork is done by hand.

When building calls using purchased call parts, Brown meticulously sands, preps and assembles each herself — all with the same great care and diligence as her artwork. She currently makes her own air-operated calls via carving or with wingbones. She has also purchased a lathe and is in the process of learning how to turn calls.

Brown’s custom turkey calls stand as a testament to the union of artistry, functionality and a profound reverence for nature. Her meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to quality have set her work apart. And her dedication to tailoring each piece to the unique preferences of her customers is a hallmark of her artistry.

To place an order, find Sherry Brown, from Great Falls, Montana, on Facebook. Or email customturkeyart@gmail.com, or text (406) 788-1217.