Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Scrimshaw Rum Cup / Rum Horn "White Buffalo"

I had the great honor of having my very first lesson in scrimshaw from a very well known scrimshaw artist, Glenn Swanson.  Now, this is my very first attempt so I obviously need a LOT more practice but I am so thrilled to have sat down and 'scratched' with such a great artist. 

My first attempt is a scrimshaw rum cup or rum horn.  My "White Buffalo" is simple, but remember, I have never tried this before.  On the front of the rum horn is the white buffalo.


 On the back is a woman with her baby, and far in the distance are the buffalo roaming in the fields.
The idea of the rum cup/horn is that you tie a string on the pins/staples and hang it around your neck.  You fill the horn with rum.  Pull out the plug at the top, place your finger over the hole.  Then pull the second plug, holding it over your mouth.   When you are ready for a drink, remove your finger from the upper hole....replacing your finger when you have a mouth full.
Well, I found that I absolutely loved this new form of art.  I will be trying my hand more at this so I can become better at the art.  It is not easy, you can only work for a short bit of time as your hands get use to the pressure needed to do the work. 

All my scrimshaw is hand done making them one of a kind.
Price:  $250
Email me with any inquiries:
directzee@hotmail.com
Thanks for looking, and keep creating!!

Gourd Bowl Art

Well I have decided to dabble a little with Gourds.  Though they can be a bit messy to clean out they do end up giving you a nice canvas to work on.  I was not having the best of luck with my camera & lighting today, so will try at some point to replace some or many of the photos.

 During this round, I worked mostly with inks & dyes.  I then chose a varity of things in which to trim or finish the bowls, from jute, stones, beads, wire, etc.
One of my favorites is extremely simple, but I use this bowl often at dinner.  The oblong bowl is just perfect not only to serve in but it has the wonderful handle.  I line the inside with a napkin and serve bread in it.  It also makes for a great center piece, filled with holiday decorations.

My son has decided he likes the red gourd I created.  Black String, gold beads and gold on the inside of the gourd all stand out pretty nice.  The first photo is the front, and the second photo is the back of the gourd.


Below are some of the other bowls I was working on.

 Mattering on the light, this one sometimes looks dark blue, purple, almost black or a hint of red.  I think I like this one just because each time I look, the color seems to look a little different.



 Not quite finished with the bowl below, so when done, I will replace this one but wanted to show off my heart bowl.  That hanging heart is a piece of stone I found at a craft store.  Made a nice addition.  The camera makes it look redder but in person, the stone & bowl look close to the same color.  That was purely by accident...but nice accident.

I am also working on woodburning the gourd bowls, but that will have to come later as I am still working on those.