I found this little horror at a carboot sale a couple of weeks ago. I bought her for 50p
Id been thinking of buying a gourd but the only ones I could find, in china town, where a shocking £18 so 50p was worth the extra effort of stripping the paint with commercial paintstripper. It didnt take to long.
I painted the red on first with hindsight I aught to have done that much later. I tried cutting the top off with a knife and it was clear I was more likely to injure myself. Its probably easy with the right equipment like a small drill or craft rotary blade, but I used my pyro pen to burn it off
Next I cleaned it out with a bottle brush. Ive no idea how old this gourd is, but presumably they are all similar. its filled with seeds and white membrane like a pumpkin and all this needs to be scraped out (seems to make excellent tinder to!)
Maybe these can be planted? needs 70 degrees to germinate anyway.
melt some beeswax. this took three sticks...
Swirl it round inside, rotate it slowly and keep adding the wax. I had to melt it in steps to first do the bottom half and then the top lobe finishing when the gourd was almost upside down. I think I got it all.
Then came the fun part. You can all probably guess what Im going to do with it next.
These knotwork designs are impossible to draw out on a flat surface and transfer, it had to be done freehand. I initially drew a dot pattern grid to help with the pattern but this proved more trouble than it was worth as the irregular shape of gourds means the pattern keeps having to be slightly adjusted. Its easier to pencil in a frame work and then bulk it out.
I wanted something intricate on the bottom so when its lifted up to be drank from there isnt a boring empty patch. I needed to copy this design from a book as it was too difficult for me to make up (ive got the hang of inventing general knotwork chains but circular patterns are bloody hard!) Again, start with simple guidelines, preferebly with each bit in a diffierent colour if possible.
a few days later...
Sorr there is a bit of a jump in this last section, I got bored of photographing myself, and with a burning tool in my hand its not easy! The birds on the top I created myself, and the picture in the middle remains a little unfinished but I wanted to paint on the centre panel rather than burn it all. Its Raven stealing the sun in acrylic paint.
If youre headed to the moot, youre going to be lucky as that Morgans bottle is half full for a reason! (Im making a shocking brew with the other half!!) Im going to cork the bottle, it holds a pint and a half, and I want the raven with the sun in its mouth to be appropriate to the spices Ive added to the rum. heheh
Ps, the canoe paddle in the background is todays work. Its not finished so Im not showing it till it is!
Id been thinking of buying a gourd but the only ones I could find, in china town, where a shocking £18 so 50p was worth the extra effort of stripping the paint with commercial paintstripper. It didnt take to long.
I painted the red on first with hindsight I aught to have done that much later. I tried cutting the top off with a knife and it was clear I was more likely to injure myself. Its probably easy with the right equipment like a small drill or craft rotary blade, but I used my pyro pen to burn it off
Next I cleaned it out with a bottle brush. Ive no idea how old this gourd is, but presumably they are all similar. its filled with seeds and white membrane like a pumpkin and all this needs to be scraped out (seems to make excellent tinder to!)
melt some beeswax. this took three sticks...
Swirl it round inside, rotate it slowly and keep adding the wax. I had to melt it in steps to first do the bottom half and then the top lobe finishing when the gourd was almost upside down. I think I got it all.
Then came the fun part. You can all probably guess what Im going to do with it next.
These knotwork designs are impossible to draw out on a flat surface and transfer, it had to be done freehand. I initially drew a dot pattern grid to help with the pattern but this proved more trouble than it was worth as the irregular shape of gourds means the pattern keeps having to be slightly adjusted. Its easier to pencil in a frame work and then bulk it out.
a few days later...
Sorr there is a bit of a jump in this last section, I got bored of photographing myself, and with a burning tool in my hand its not easy! The birds on the top I created myself, and the picture in the middle remains a little unfinished but I wanted to paint on the centre panel rather than burn it all. Its Raven stealing the sun in acrylic paint.
If youre headed to the moot, youre going to be lucky as that Morgans bottle is half full for a reason! (Im making a shocking brew with the other half!!) Im going to cork the bottle, it holds a pint and a half, and I want the raven with the sun in its mouth to be appropriate to the spices Ive added to the rum. heheh
Ps, the canoe paddle in the background is todays work. Its not finished so Im not showing it till it is!
..what else is there to say...:wow1: .. what a beautiful piece of work, Lindsey....:notworthy :notworthy
