I have another foot long balsa wood and am contemplating carving something else other than owls. Not that I don’t like owls, I think having choices would be challenging.
It has to be something round without limbs sticking out and easy to recognize. Hmm. Life choices…
So I carved. And carved and carved over the weekend and created a mini zoo of sorts with my effort. In the process, I made a mess in the house with the wood flakes and dust flying everywhere. Can’t help it with the fan on at full blast as it was hot and humid.
The comments given were hilarious. I had a mention of a penguin, a frog and a Yoda for my owl carving attempts. I finally had some good results after the earlier efforts. It was literally five owls/hours later that I got it right.
I must say I had fun doing all these. In total I carved 11 pieces, four on the totem pole. Amazing where the burst of energy (and creativity) came from! Next step would be to stain them to look more complete.
My little zoo
The first two: The Yoda and the penguin wannabes
Saturday’s troop looking more like owls
The last two. Gave ‘Elvis’ a tad of front hair. Heheh…
I couldn’t wait for the weekend and left the office early yesterday to go back to the art store and bought the carving set, along with more balsa wood.
Debating between the cheap Made in China set and the expensive Sakura brand, I opted for the Japanese set which cost five times more but I think it’s a good investment. Last night, the carving has begun!
I think when the weekend is over, I should have a brood of owls and other animals done up. So exciting!
Art has always been my passion. Carving the balsa wood reminds me of the time when I tried carving wax dinosaur years ago. It was basically a do-it-yourself technique.
Back then it was hard to find the perfect block of wax. And to buy a big (and expensive) candle to carve, I think Mom and Dad would have balked at the idea. So I improvised. I made a mold using cardboard and then melted regular house candles into it to have that perfect block. It was more important to have the correct size rather than the right color. Burnt wax ended up looking black. Oh well.
Then the mess began. It was exhilarating. I must say wax carving is so much easier because the substance is soft and easy to manipulate or shape. If a mistake is made, I could just melt some wax to patch the mistake and redo the area without problems, unlike wood when once carved away, you cannot undo.
I carved several Smurf characters because I had those little blue figurine collectibles and they were an easy reference to start off. It worked out well and I still have the wax figurines after all these years. Although the trio collectively has a missing ear, half a foot gone and two limbs broken off, they still look good. I should fix them though.
Now balsa wood is different for obvious reasons. Harder than wax yet soft to carve, you cannot use too much strength else you’d end up cutting out parts unintentionally. I carved a pig several years back and after that one time, I did not pursue further. I don’t know why. I think I went on to painting.
But now, here I am, carving again. What more, did a totem pole of owls and contemplating more little single figurines to work on. This is much more satisfying than painting owls on the whiskey bottles that I did a while back. That was just time consuming whereas this, thinking in 3-D and seeing what the mind sees in all angles come true to life is much more satisfying. And therapeutic.
So the sketch and the plan will continue.
It wasn’t difficult. I guess I am comfortable using the mini penknife to work on my totem pole of owls. I actually brought back my X-acto knife from the office just in case I needed an alternative tool. The nasal congestion is still there but in the quiet of things, I worked on the pole for almost three hours. It was rather therapeutic.
I can’t decide which owl looks cuter, the top, the middle two or the last one. Somehow upon close scrutiny, the bottom fella looks like a penguin! So does the top one!!! Hahahaha…
The finishing is not as fine as I had hope for but then again, with a penknife instead of carving tools, I should not expect much. But for a first attempt, I must say it’s a good effort. Definitely different from the original sketch but the gist of the plan is there.
I have decided I will go buy more balsa wood over the weekend and perhaps a set of carving tools too since I cannot find my old set. And will continue this streak of carving while the mood lasts. But I won’t get another long strip but little blocks and carve single owls. It should be fun.
Who would have thought that having nasal congestion is bad? I thought it would cloud my senses but contrary to it, it brings out my inner creativity.
We were out at the mall yesterday and stumbled upon a new art supplies store. Like a kid let loose in a candy parlor, we explored the aisles to our hearts’ content, oohing and ahh-ing constantly. It was as if we have been deprived for so long.
I found some balsa wood and picked up a long piece; I decided to do a carving whilst M2 debated over a square and rectangle canvas. In the end, she chose the square one. On my prodding, she decided to try her hands at painting. So exciting!
We came home and after a good rest and dinner, I began my new project. For three solid hours, I did not touch my iPad and sat at the dining table to work out a sketch. Then I whipped out my trusty Swiss Army penknife because I couldn’t find my carving tools and did this… a totem pole of owls.
Stay tuned for its progress and finished product!
Ever had one of those moments when you swallowed a capsule and it got stuck in the throat? Equally up there on the cringe list is when swallowing a non-coated tablet and the bitterness explodes before going down to send your tastebuds into haywire mode. On both occasions, you desperately drink gallons of water to wash away the predicament and suffer the consequences later with frequent toilet trips!
Last night, I was routinely taking my supplements and the glucosamine capsule went down ‘sideways’ instead of lengthwise and I felt as though the large capsule was lodged in my throat! Choke and sputter…
I have this habit of throwing my head back quickly whenever I take my meds to ensure the pills go down (with momentum and gravity) easily but I didn’t do this last night and paid the price for it.
I had a coughing fit and almost keeled over because I was also having nasal congestion, making it hard to breathe. It was the most uncomfortable moment. Thank goodness I survived…
Of late the happy looking group of Bettas does not look too happy. They don’t seem to swim in a group and looked very separated. Last night I was observing them and took some pictures.
Some were at this corner and that corner and even resting on the pebbles. Sleeping? I hope they are fine.
M2 just had her school holidays not too long ago and here we are this week, having another week long break. It is the Aidil Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr) celebration this time and like Chinese New Year, it is typical of schools to take a week off so that families can travel back to their hometown or spend time with family. Businesses will not close for a week but on the gazetted days.
We are not traveling anywhere this time because we didn’t want to join the exodus and be stuck on the highway. Toilet breaks would be a bane especially for us girls. So it is an easy week at work and at home with lots of sleeping in and golf during the two-day break (for us) on Wednesday and Thursday.
My M2 turned 15 last Thursday and I was not here to celebrate with her as I was in Ho Chi Minh City. I reached home slightly after midnight on that night and managed to wish her because she waited for my return.
Where did time go? My goodness, 15 years old. Didn’t I plan a Lego-themed birthday party for her not too long ago? Wait a minute… that was when she turned ten! My goodness, 15 years old now.
Over the weekend, we made it up to her and gave her a belated treat, starting off with a movie, ‘Finding Dory’ and a fancy Japanese dinner, followed by another movie the next day, ‘Independence Day Resurgence’. We had a good time.
My dear M2, you may be 15 and all grown up but you are still my baby. Kisses.
My baby
My kindy-going baby
All grown up!
Remarks