Skippy

**Whittling** · 26th April 2012, 12:49 PM

After 9 years I've finally got up the nerve to try this one. As a dinky-die Aussie immigrant I've wanted to try a kangaroo for ages but I've always been worried about the ears and the tail. If you run the grain vertically you risk the tail and if horizontally, you risk the ears. How does one fit a kangaroo on a walking stick anyway? Even if you do a small roo as a capper for a staff what do you do with the tail? I've never liked the idea of wrapping it around the body base because that is so unlike nature that it sets my teeth on edge even to think about it.

A while ago I did a cat head thumb stick as a commisson and got thinking that maybe it would be enough to do the kangaroo head only, in a similar style. Below is the result. It doesn't work as a thumb stick in its current design because the 'chest' area gets in the way. It does work as a staff capper but the ears are vulnerable. I think the best it can be is a decorative piece rather than a real working stick but hopefully it will catch somebodys eye.

The shaft is Tassie Oak the spacers are ' 'arrah and Huon Pine and the carving is ' 'elutong. (if you're wondering what the ' ' is about... that letter on my keyboard isn't working for some reason...

Probably have to buy a whole new keyboard now... Don't you love technology?

)

**Robson Valley** · 26th April 2012, 01:21 PM

That would make one Hello of a wine flagon/bottle stopper. Wombat next? Platypus? Koala?
From up here, that looks pretty good for several reasons
a) the face, nose on, seem the right proportions as I recall.
b) the lack of symmetry in the ears seems very real.
c) forget the tail. . . not a penguin, not a Galah, not a Lorikeet = correct?

**Robthechisel** · 27th April 2012, 01:41 AM

Hi Whittling,
Being a fellow Aussie I love it, Your right, don't think it could be used as a working stick but very original. Well done.

**Whittling** · 27th April 2012, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

That would make one Hello of a wine flagon/bottle stopper. Wombat next? Platypus? Koala?
From up here, that looks pretty good for several reasons
a) the face, nose on, seem the right proportions as I recall.
b) the lack of symmetry in the ears seems very real.
c) forget the tail. . . not a penguin, not a Galah, not a Lorikeet = correct?

Thanks RV,

I hadn't thought of a bottle stopper. There are lots of themes that fit in that category, but you are right... this one would work.

I'm fairly happy with the face proportions although, anyone with detailed knowledge of kangaroos will probably notice that he's a Western red from the front and an Eastern grey from the side. This was because I couldn't find two appropriate photos of the same species for the pattern. It doesn't worry me all that much. Someday if I come across better photos I may try to make a better pattern but there's no hurry. For where I am at the moment.. it'll do.

The ears in the photos upon which the pattern is based were even more non-symetrical. Roos often turn one ear forward and one backward if they are a little unsure about what's going on around them. I actually tweaked the photo to make the pattern ears a bit more symetrical...though as you pointed out, not entirely so.

In the end I did forget the tail... bust only. Still trying to come up with a design that can incorportate the whole animal in a stick... maybe someday.

**Whittling** · 27th April 2012, 11:58 AM

Thanks Rob.

It gave me the opportunity to play around with the Yakka resin shellac again. The colour was perfect for this. The mulitple tones are a result of using different colour shellac sealers in different areas, like the end of the muzzle and the inside of the ears.

I'm not finished with this pattern yet. I'd like to try a few more things, maybe even something life size but that will have to wait for a bit unitl I'm out from under a few committments.

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