Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 5 of 5
Thread: Pair of Ravens
-
15th June 2012, 10:00 AM #1
GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- McBride BC Canada
- Posts
- 3,543
Pair of Ravens
Done at last. Got their rocks on and out the door for a photo-op.
3" x 12" x 12' slab of western red cedar (Thuja plicata). The birds are 30" and 27" tall to avoid the worst of the knots. All of the shaping was done with hand tools. My power tools aren't big enough for this. I've learned enough about WRC that this didn't slow me down at all.
A couple of looks at shaping the front of the body. Start with fret cuts and bash out the big blocks. More fret cuts and try to be careful in more bashing. Rough shaping with a 5/35 and a 9/15. Making the beaks was a dream job with crooked knives. Quite something to watch 6" shavings pull off. You can see waste wood that I clamp up in a vise.
I drilled 5/16" holes in the stones and spun a 1/4" x 3" lag bolt up into the heel of each bird.
I don't like the finished birds. They are barely OK, doing the 2" abalone shell inlay was fun as usual. BUT, there's something I dislike about the head and beak proportions, ever since I finished the painting. Don't know what to do to revise the pattern/design.
You can be as critical as you like.
-
15th June 2012 10:00 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
15th June 2012, 10:24 AM #2
SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Location
- Waitpinga
- Posts
- 835
Hi RV
Patterned on native NA art I would imagine, though nothing like what I have seen before. That's not saying much as I haven't seen much
. Your own design?
In the right surroundings I can see them working, though I have to say artistically, I prefer a wood finish to the black mat. I think I understand your reasons for using the black though so.....
-
15th June 2012, 12:22 PM #3
GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- McBride BC Canada
- Posts
- 3,543
Comments most appreciated. Ravens have to be black. I'm already thinking of a wholesale change in design to try next winter (carving season at -20C).
I've got a small green sea turtle on the go, such a beautiful piece of western red cedar, I can't bear the thought of painting it. Some clear finish.
Yes, they do look a bit Pacific Northwest Native art but for 2 things that you see here:
I'm not related to those guys so I've come up with some absolutely unique design elements of my own.
1. No native carver would ever do just a simple round eye. They have traditional design elements that I will not use. Same eye in my Halibut platter.
2. No native carver ever does feathers like I do. The U-shape with the scooped-out center.
I started that way in the mid-1980's and won't change.
-
16th June 2012, 07:56 PM #4
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 142
What about burning?
You get the blackness without the 'yech' of paint.
You know you want to.
-
18th June 2012, 12:19 PM #5
GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- McBride BC Canada
- Posts
- 3,543
I thought about burning but it had to be 100% even. Then some sort of sealer.
The native artists originally used charcoal and salmon egg binder. I was all set up with charcoal and carpenter's glue diluted 15% with water. Ran out of time and panicked. This is exterior acrylic black house paint. Easy but tedious painting. brushes $2.99/dozen. Tip toss, done.
BTW, you will never find those beak carving knives in a Lee Valley catalog.
Reply With QuoteSimilar Threads
-
Another pair of .............
By Les in Red Deer in forum CASTING & STABILISATIONReplies: 2Last Post: 25th August 2010, 09:03 AM -
A Pair Of Remington 7mm
By Les in Red Deer in forum WOODTURNING - PEN TURNINGReplies: 4Last Post: 8th June 2009, 08:50 PM -
A pair of EBs
By DuncanH in forum WOODTURNING - PEN TURNINGReplies: 16Last Post: 10th December 2008, 12:55 AM -
the pair
By fxst in forum WOODTURNING - PEN TURNINGReplies: 1Last Post: 20th October 2006, 11:52 PM
