Greetings
Given the time of year, I thought I would give this compute art another outing
(pun intended)
Until next time
Adieu
Greetings
Given the time of year, I thought I would give this compute art another outing
(pun intended)
Until next time
Adieu
Greetings
I have added the first oil glazes to the new painting.
It now looks like this
it used to look like this
As you can see the colour is already much richer.
I will continue to add glazes until I am happy with it.
until next time
Adieu
Greetings
A little early Christmas present...Or what I'd like to find left for me under the tree...
Seasons Greetings
As a medievalist, I celebrate Christmas in the the old way from Martinmas (11 November) until Candlemas ( 2 February).
I have decorated the hall and living room and the wreath has been hung on the front door.
Sadly, this year I have not been able to make my own wreath ( as in previous years). The yew bush and bay are no more. They have been sacrificed to enable me to park off-road on my former front garden.
We did this as part of the works getting the old side fence replaced. We have put gates across the old rear drive ( the patio), so we can still use it for visitors and workmen, but I finally I have my rear garden back and delivery drivers will stop trying to deliver to the back door
As usual, I have set up the tree and decorated it with as many baubles etcetera as I can fit on.
Greetings
I have been working on a new painting.
I am experimenting again. This work is painted on primed hardboard, which I have cut to size for one of my stock of unglazed frames.
As with "Catspaw" ( which I have blogged about previously) , I am doing the underpainting in acrylic.
This means that the basic structure of the painting forms considerably faster.
I will then work over this with oil glazes to increase the depth and vibrancy of the image.
I have now completed the underpainting and the picture looks like this
Until next time
Adieu
Greetings
Here are some pictures of the new crest now that it has been fixed to my great helm.
Greetings
Here are some close-up pictures of the new crest.
These two show the twisting tail
Greetings
An early post this week, as tomorrow promises to be very busy.
I have now finished painting the new carved crest for my great helm.
Greetings
I am posting a bit late again, as I have just spent all day solving a magical murder.
This was an on-line live action game which Teddy, Clare, Nikita, Jane and I took part in around Wimbledon.
We decided to dress the part.
We managed to solve all the trials and -in the end- the murder.
This was our first attempt at this sort of game, so we were not the fastest ( coming in 15 out of 31).
We did, however, win the Best Dressed category...
Until next time
Adieu
Greetings
Apologies for the late posting this week. I woke up yesterday with a sensation of tightness in my chest that felt like it reach right back to my spine and nothing I tried seemed to shift it.
Consequently, I went to my doctor, who sent me to A & E. I then spent the rest of the day either waiting or having tests done to check that I hadn't had a minor heart attack.
It turns out -I hadn't.. but they didn't give me any diagnosis of what it was.
The best I can come up with is must have been something muscular, as the effect lasted for about ten and half hours and was not altered by going to the loo during that time.
Anyway, I'm fine now and also know from scans that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my heart.
Indeed, the doctor used me as an example for two medical students...
So, back to normal service...
Some time ago, I posted about carving a new crest for my great helm from a small block of cherry wood.
Due to the size of block I could obtain, I was unable to carve the mitre 'in the round' and had to be satisfied with a flattened representation.
In the meantime, a large, ancient pear tree in my father's garden finally gave up the ghost and fell down.
In the course of clearing up the resulting mess, I sawed off a reasonable chunk of branch and left it by the radiator in my studio to dry.
Now, some good time later, I have spent a month or so carving it into a new crest.
This is how it looked when I had decided the carving was done and had given it a coat of gesso.
I will post again when I have finished painting it.
Until next time
Adieu
Greetings
Prior to sewing on the body of the pouch I had used a leatherwork tool to bevel the edges of the two panels and the flap. I had also used another tool to round them off further.
I now had to sew the body to the rear panel, which involved a lot of measuring and checking to make sure I started and finished at the right point. Measure twenty times sew once...
It went together correctly.
Greetings
Here is the final variant of this piece
In all his glory, as nature intended...
Until next time
Adieu
Greetings
Having cut out the front and rear panels and a fitting for the buckle, I then cut out a strap.
I sewed the hanger onto the rear panel and the strap onto the flap.
I also sewed the buckle onto the front panel. I also adjusted the front top opening on the front panel
Greetings
Many years ago I bought a replica metal belt pouch hanger and buckle at a trader's stall at Herstmonceux Medieval Festival.
My leatherworking skills were in their infancy and I made a belt pouch from quite thin black leather.
At first this worked alright and I added an enamelled Yorkist rose to the flap. I later found a Papal badge and added this above the rose.
As the years went by the thin leather began to stretch and sag. I added internal stiffening pieces, but (as you can see this still didn't work very well.