Creative Woodworks & crafts 2005-04, страница 51

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When my wife, Alice, and I first saw the bobcat, it was raw, burned wood without any color enhancements, and we immediately fell in love with it. We both felt that il had been completed bccaitsc her texturing and shading gave il a lifelike quality. However, Orchid objected and encouraged us lo bear with her as she applied the finishing touches, and that became the subject of this project.

Woodburning is not a quick, hurry-up project when done properly. She explained that each hair is burned in individually with jusl the rigid touch of the tool to add depth and contrast with the overall direction of creating as accurate a likeness as possible, whether il is an animal, landscape, or portrait. Once that is accomplished, she adds her final touches of coloring and the eye detail, and it is her eyes that she is known for— they are incredible!

So what sort of person is she and how is her slitdio set tip? First of all, she loves nature, is a. bit shy, very private, and above all, she is independent.

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Orchid quotes: "1 have to give a lot of credit for everything that I do to the fact that I use some mighty fine tools. My first woodburner, bought in 1980. was a Detailer made by Cole wood Electronics. Twenty-four years later I still keep a Detailer plugged in next to my iceliner and the T is the only pen I can't live without. Talk about set iu my ways!"

That brings us to Iter studio. Because of Ihe amount of time she spends on the road she keeps most of her tools and supplies packed into several medium sized rolling eases, and any place she can find a flat surface to lay out a few items becomes her "studio." As you can gather from her reference to the teeliner, il is her favorite place to burn.

She also pointed out that because of the very fine, detail required for her work, she uses double strength glasses, and prefers to work under a regular incandescent light bulb, cot fluorescent, light, which causes more eyestrain due lo its "flicker."

As you will sec illustrated further on, her finishing supplies arc made up of a wide assortment of materials that she gathers up from many sources. Hex criteria are: a product that will do the job; not fade over time; and is readily available at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, some of her favorite iridescent paint colors have been discontinued; however, Orchid has found that cheap nail polish can be a suitable substitute. The interesting thing about her wood-burned eyes is that, she uses both pa.ini and fin gcrnail polish, and she finds the. male response to buying fingernail polish and eyeliner brushes amusing, which adds considerable humor to her classes. But as she points out, they can always raid their teenaged daughter's makeup -supplies.

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The orignal photo that led tn tills project.

I photographed this Bobcat at the Mabry Carlton Reserve in Vcnicc, Florida in March 2004. The reserve is in the City of Venice watershed that is three miles wide and 10 miles long and is maintained as a natural area where water quality of both surface and aquifer are constantly monitored. It is open to lite public with a number of walking/biking/horsebaclc trails, plus canoe access to the Myakka River. Since hunting and use. of motor vehicles of any kind is prohibited, it has become a wildlife haven. I have spent more Ihan 300 hours photographing in the Reserve wearing full camouflage, and this is my first bobcat pholo. When Robert (editor, Robert Becker) saw this photo, he immediately saw the potential of a collaborative effort with Orchkl using the photo for a woodhurning project, and a scroll saw pattern developed by George AHers with me as the cutter. Hey. anytime I get a. chance to cut and photograph. I'll take it, plus working with Orchid is really an honor. Editor's Note: The scroll sawn bobcat, designed by George Ahlers and developed by Wes, will appear in ovr next issue.

Orchid's method (in her own words)

The first step in creating a good woodbumtng (and often the hardest) is to find good reference material. This lime that was already taken care of when I received a beautiful Bobcat photograph from Wes Dc.marest. Robert thought it would he a neat idea to see what two different artists would come up with based on the same subject, and here is my version.

To begin with, 1 enlarged (he photograph on my copy machine so that il would almost fill an 8" wide basswood plate. 1 chose basswood because it has a. close, fairly uniform grain that burns well and has a light creamy color that gives a lot of contrast in my burning. I wanted the eai burned so that it could be reproduced as near as possible to the size of the original art.

Perhaps the most important difference in my burning, and that of my students, is thai we burn for color. Every line does not have Lo be black. Even white fur is burned - BUT ON

continued on page 52 Creative Woodworks 8 Crafts April 20C6 * 51

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