Sure, it's an eye, but what kind of eye? It's part of a new project that I have going.
Like I don't have enough to do already. There are still the cabinet doors to finish up for the kitchen. They are cut and ready to glue up, basecoat, sand, paint, paint again, add hinges, and hang, but it is rainy outside today and, besides, I won't have much time before church (the evening service). When I ran out of glue yesterday, I went back to another project that I started with Cat in mind. See, she is a collector of elephants (I could easily do a year's worth of elephant photos), so I drew off a flying elephant for her. Not a "Dumbo" ear-flapping elephant, but one with wings, serene and mystical. We decided to make a wall hanging of it so I enlarged the drawing and sketched it onto a piece of MDF. Then I fired up my trusty scroll saw and cut out the form.
Well, it sat like that for a while. When I sharpened my chisels and started to work on it, I realized that an assist from power tools might be in order. A router helped reduce the thickness of some of the back legs and wings. And a sander got me started on the belly. But what helped most was finding a wood carving set made in Japan. Wow, those blades are sharp!
Here's the way the whole project looks at present (lying on our dead lawn). I am saving the tail for the very end of the carving so I won't break it off. Eventually the wings will be completely detailed, there will be wrinkles here and there, and it will be time to paint. What color do you think a flying elephant should be (NOT pink)? I can't decide between a solid color or the kind of decoration that they use in India with little mirrors glued to it. Or maybe several layers of different colors, then sand it and otherwise distress it for an old, nostalgic look. Hmmmm, what do you think?
8 comments:
What's wrong with pink?
Ok, what about blue then?
Or go for the a la natural grey.
What about purple?
Maybe stick with the little mirrors.
I'm just not creative when it comes to things like this, I guess.
Oh i just love this!! I am sort of liking him natural....or a pale gray and then the wings a shiny lavender.
It looks like a Hindu-style carving to me, so I suggest bright turquoise with the little mirrors. Love it!
I'm worried about you leaving the tail for last. What if...nevermind, I am going ot think positive!
It looks very cool! I think a natural wood color stain with some darker inking in the carved lines might be nice.
Or you could collage over it with images and maybe scraps of torn tissue paper....
I love it!
I think some sort of subtle, serene color would look really good.
By the way, I have a god-awful ugly elephant that my no-good brother gave me for Christmas a few years ago. Do you think Cat would want it?
I think a bluish/grayish gradient would be cool.
Rach -- trying to give away Christmas presents? I put a lot of thought into that elephant. (It's a base for a table). Just wait until next year and see how ugly your Christmas present is.
NOT pink? hat's the first thing I thought of. How about the old nostalgic look with tiny mirrors?
Wow, so many opinions! Hadn't thought of the gradient, Jonboy. That is an idea. We'll see.
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