tributesinwood

On to the “Accessories”

The little beach basset painting is pretty much complete.  I’ve painted the old fashioned swim-suit with yellow and blue strips with some ivory coloured dry brushing over top for some extra character.  On now to a set of reading glasses and a newspaper…which will both be something new and interesting for me.

Happy Thanksgiving

It’s Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada and we’re well into enjoying our turkey dinner.  The weather is just beautiful and we’re relaxing this weekend and enjoying all of the goodies on the table.

I did sneak away to get a bit more painting done on the latest project.   I think he’s looking pretty good at this stage but lots of detail and finishing to do yet.  The face is mostly white with a bit of off-white for highlights.  The ears, face and spots on the legs and paws are raw sienna.  The old-fashioned bathing suit is bright yellow and light blue.  Lots of highlights and a few spots of additional colour here and there will make the carving really stand out.  Oh yeah, and a newspaper and wire reading glasses are yet to come…

Well Used Muskoka Chair

I actually tried a number of different paint schemes for the Muskoka chair as they come in pretty much every colour of the rainbow and a variety of different themes…solid colours, alternating colours, stained wood, etc.  The one thing in common, though, is that they tend to be well used and having sat out in the weather for the summer season ( and the winter if you forgot to bring them in ), they tend to look a bit weather worn.

I ended up with a red and white chair.  The white is actually a bit off-white and the red is Tuscan Red.  I then used burnt umber, raw sienna, yellow ochre and a slate grey to highlight some worn areas and add a bit of “dirt.”  I then dry brushed the entire piece with a mixture of burnt umber and white and, finally, coated the entire chair with satin polyurethane, being careful to wipe off the excess to ensure a dull finish.

I like the way that it turned out and I think the little hound in his bathing suit is going to look like he’s visiting his favourite spot on the beach and sitting in his go-to chair.

Memories of Monty Python

Remember the Monty Python skit with the guys with the knotted handkerchiefs on their heads?  Ha!  When I was a kid we had a very nice older man as a neighbour who also used to always knot a handkerchief and wear it on his head when he was cutting the grass.

Well, our little Beach Basset is following suit.  The handkerchief with the stress wrinkles at the corners where the knots are located was simply carved into the head of the Basset.  I cut the edges irregularly to make it look like the material was disappearing beneath itself all around the head.

The knots were made separately from small pieces of cherry.  The cherry was used as it is harder than the basswood and will be able to withstand an inadvertent “knock” without breaking off.  I just fashioned a knot with the end piece hanging out and a long round section on the other end that could be epoxied in drilled holes at the knot locations of the handkerchief.  You can see this in the one photo that shows two knots back to back that were later separated in the middle and glued in place.

Monty Python lives again!

Ready for Ears

The arms have been glued on the Beach Basset and I’ve done some additional detailing here and there.  I’m actually pretty happy with the way the face has turned out so far.  I’m shooting for an older dog look and I’m picturing those droopy eyes eventually looking at you over a newspaper.  I’m toying with those half-lens reading glasses as well.

Next step will be to add a couple of ears draped over the arms in my typical fashion for these bassets.

The weather has been just beautiful around Kingston which has been keeping me outside and away from a lot of carving.  But…rain is predicted this weekend, so maybe a couple of ears will appear.

Some Work on the Beach Basset

Not a whole lot of carving to report on for a couple of reasons.

First, we decided to change the window coverings in the dining room to blinds.  To make a long story short, that simple idea led to crown moulding, new baseboards and a fresh coat of paint on the walls.

Second, I hurt my thumb.  Actually, somehow I got an infection in the cuticle and boy does it hurt.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy a bit of carving today and put a bit more shape into this little basset’s paws and swimsuit.  I’ll rough in the arms over the next few days as my thumb heals!