Boomerang building in a hotel room...
Well, I was working in Albany all week and staying in a hotel. I had packed the 20 sanded blanks from the weekend and my box of Sharpies. Several evenings I got out the boomerangs and Sharpies and proceeded to decorate them. I am interested in the way that Herb Smith decorated boomerangs, especially since some of it seems to be Frank Lloyd Wright influenced. I like FLW and have seen an exhibition of his stained glass windows. Incorporating those ideas to boomerangs seemed like a fit. I even bought a book of templates for some of the windows, to use as inspiration
I have a plastic template of squares, circles and triangles and use that for the shapes and as a straight edge for lines. I had originally started by using an ultra fine tip Sharpie to make the lines and fine tip ones for color. I have since switched to a black ball point for the lines, using it to create a groove in the plywood. I have tried lightly sealing the wood and leaving it raw. I find the color does not go on well when I seal the wood first so I am sticking with raw wood only. The raw wood creates its own problems as it allows the ink to flow with the grain and will bleed over into other areas. It really takes some control to keep it from getting out of control.
Anyway, I manage to make some very nice designs on a few boomerangs. I think I got a Sussex Hook, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Reverse Galaxy and 1 Columbia Hook decorated. It doesn't sound like allot, but working at a small desk in a hotel room isn't ideal conditions. Getting anything done is so much better than sitting around watching TV. Over the weekend I managed to get three coats of clear polyurethane on them and they look great. Will me being on the road the next several weeks or longer, I'll have plenty of opportunity to get more finished.
Have Sharpies, will travel!
Dave
I have a plastic template of squares, circles and triangles and use that for the shapes and as a straight edge for lines. I had originally started by using an ultra fine tip Sharpie to make the lines and fine tip ones for color. I have since switched to a black ball point for the lines, using it to create a groove in the plywood. I have tried lightly sealing the wood and leaving it raw. I find the color does not go on well when I seal the wood first so I am sticking with raw wood only. The raw wood creates its own problems as it allows the ink to flow with the grain and will bleed over into other areas. It really takes some control to keep it from getting out of control.
Anyway, I manage to make some very nice designs on a few boomerangs. I think I got a Sussex Hook, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Reverse Galaxy and 1 Columbia Hook decorated. It doesn't sound like allot, but working at a small desk in a hotel room isn't ideal conditions. Getting anything done is so much better than sitting around watching TV. Over the weekend I managed to get three coats of clear polyurethane on them and they look great. Will me being on the road the next several weeks or longer, I'll have plenty of opportunity to get more finished.
Have Sharpies, will travel!
Dave
Added on September 17, 2007 by bvdrangs
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