Carving up close

This is simply a super closeup of a portion of a letterbox carving that is being planted tomorrow with the help of a special boxer ;)

Raven Skull is finished

Crisp and clear.

This photo does not do this any justice. The protective finish gives this art gourd depth and clarity. I am having second thoughts on selling this one. LOL

#3 gets watercolor

Surprisingly Fun!

Fatty!

This gourd is a big fatty.   I'm gonna tackle it next.  It's my next birdhouse project.

#2 is finished

I am signing and numbering each art gourd

Dogwood (gourd #2)

This is my second gourd.   Done with pen and ink,  and Watercolor.   The finishing touches to seal the art and protect the gourd to be done later today.  

It's got sheen

From the photos....It's hard to tell much difference in the finished product but it is sealed and now has a depth and sheen thst brings out the natural colors of the gourd. This is my first... but not my last :)

Gourd Fun!

So yesterday I dug out a box of dried gourds and began the completely new adventure of cleaning then in hopes of making some birdhouses and gourd art. I started out with crusty, moldy, dirty dried gourds. After figuring out the cleaning process (which took all day) I realized I was having a blast.

You can see here how this one gourd looked before cleaning and now how it looks as I have turned it into a birdhouse and am currently adding some artwork.

The mottled brown color in the tree trunk I drew is the natural color on the gourd left from the mold. I was able to incorporate it as part of the theme. I think part of why I was so engrossed in cleaning those gourds was to see what kinds of mottling and patterns were left behind from the natural molding process.



This gourd is not finished in these photos. I will be adding a touch of color here and there and testing sealants etc. So stay tuned to see how it turns out.

Wow. What a ride!

Since i last posted here...this thing called life... has took me on a wild ride.
Despite all that... I am still alive and breathing ;)

The X Marks the Spot boxes I was working on when I last posted is alive and well and has been since August 2010. If you want a crack at them... look at my AQ logbook for "plants" and come visit me in Dillsboro at Whistlin' Dixie. Our Winter hours are short so...Let me know you are coming :)

I have letterboxes on the premises.... as well as carving tools & carving mediums for sale here in the shop but it is mostly a gift shop full of hand made wares, jewelry, logbooks, journals, music, soaps and books.