Lately, I have taken a backseat from traditional art forms (such as painting and drawing) and have focused my attention on woodworking; specifically primitive instruments. I've recently completed a wooden tongue drum and am now in the process of creating a rattle made from a coconut shell.
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I apologize for my lack of updates. Things have been quite hectic these past few weeks. My husband has been quite ill with whooping cough and I've been tending to him, so not much artistic work has been undertaken on my part. He is slowly on the mend and has just recently returned to work, so I find myself back into routine mode but lacking the creative desire. Strangely enough, life has a funny way of forcing you to get back into action, whether you like it or not. After many years of abuse and compounding injuries, my right leg (hip, knee and ankle) have become quite unreliable when it comes to flexibility and strength. It came as no surprise to me when I happen to re-dislocate my kneecap last week, while rising from the floor. I had to physically manipulate it back into place... Pain I wouldn't wish on anyone! Consequently, I have been hobbling around like a lame duck since then. My husband suggested I buy myself a waking cane from the chemist, but I have an aversion to those horrible aluminium ones. I had a look online to try and find some nice wooden ones, but the prices were ridiculously exorbitant. There's an old saying about necessity being the mother of all invention, and so I opted to make myself my own wooden walking cane. I shaped the handle to look like a stylized head/neck of an eider duck (yes... There is a bad pun about being a "lame duck" hidden somewhere in there!) It's made of natural jarrah and the stem of the cane is some unknown hardwood (most likely American ash) which I've stained a walnut colour. Since I didn't have any brass collar for the joint between the handle and stem, I made one out of a small piece of kangaroo leather. The handle is screwed on solidly with a thick threaded bolt. The bolt has been capped with a jarrah plug onto which I've pyroetched my personal logo.
My husband nicknamed my cane "The Pick." He has a good point! It does look like some "World of Warcraft" implement. Woe be to the crime who tries to mug me! Personally, I don't know how long I'll be needing this cane for, but if the degree and number of injuries one has incurred throughout their life play a greater part in how one ages, chances are I'll be relying on it more and more! Just a quick weekend project that I managed to finish this morning. This is a hnefatafl game box. Hnefatafl (pronounced nefatafel) is a Viking board game that is over 1200 years old and pre-dates chess and checkers. One team plays as the king's army and attempts to safely get the king from its throne (at the centre) to one of the burgs (on the four corners). The other player acts as the invading army and tries to capture the king by surrounding it and blocking it. The pieces move like rooks in chess (any number of unblocked rows or columns, no diagonals allowed). It's a fun game that puts ones strategic skills to the test without being overwhelming and cerebral like chess is. Let's just say that our last camping trip got a bit long in the tooth after three days of constant rain, and there is just so much "card playing" I can take before doing a "Lady Gaga poker face!" I'm more of a board game aficionado... I blame this on my days of Dungeons and Dragons.
The box is made of dressed hoop pine with pyroetched designs, red felt lining and brass hinge and lock. The playing piece were cut from a 19mm (3/4") dowel of Tasmanian pine; king and invading pieces were stained, king's guards were left with natural timber colour. |
About the AuthorI am a student of life, a nature nut, a passionate artist, a staunch individualist, a quiet introvert, and childlike at heart. Categories
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