Friday, April 16, 2021

Hugo Seafarer–A Nautical Undertaking

Hugo Seafarer is a one-of-a-kind piece in my ‘bears&boxes’ series.  I absolutely love creating these pieces that challenge my skills and creativity. I began with a box built to my specifications by Jay. The process begins here with the plain box.

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The next few photos show the layering process of paints and mediums for the outside of the box – back, front, sides, top and bottom. It’s like painting six canvas all the same way.

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While the different layers dried, I turned my attention to other details that I expected to include along the way. I used a paper mâché box lid and created a porthole. Here are a few of the steps.

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The photo that follows is one of many times I added patina to copper strips. It’s a fun process – at least I think so. One of those you get-what-you-get operations because the patina that emerges has a mind of it’s own.

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Making some diamond plate, or something that looked like it was on my list as well. I began with very shiny cardstock that I toned down with some spray. I distressed it a bit more before I embossed it.

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Back to the copper strips. Most of them were used to finish the box edges.

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Copper pipes of an appropriate size and shape were a large part of this project. My method involves using a tiny saw, a heat gun, glue, paint and patience.

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I’d never built what I would term as a balcony. Not sure what they call it on a ship or submarine, if there is such a thing. Maybe the bridge? It was an exciting idea which was a smoke screen for how exactly I was going to make it, especially the shape I wanted it to be. I used coffee stirring sticks for flooring and some of my ‘pipes’ for supports.

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Next it was portholes. Not just the big one I started with but also six smaller ones. There were two parts to each porthole including a glass-like window. Each one treated the same with layers of finish for that aged and rusted patina.

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How does the captain get to his bridge? He uses a ship’s ladder of course. Plastic rods, wood pieces, stain, paint, glue and a little bit of insanity were components of the construction of it.

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This playful detail began a few years ago in a shop on a trip where I saw an octopus tentacle finger puppet. I almost left without buying it, but I changed my mind, bought it, and stored it waiting for just the right project to come along. This turned out to be that project.

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Gears, gears. Ever so many gears. They begin unfinished so I paint them, and paint them and paint them.

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Two more paper mâché box lids – square this time. Using themed scrapbook paper, I covered them.

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It seems the closer I get to finishing a piece, the faster it goes and the fewer photos I take along the way, but here’s a couple more. Anchors and placing the pipes on one side of the box.

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Then there’s the Captain – Hugo Seafarer. An adventurer, an explorer, a voyager. He needed appropriate attire. I often take photos of an arrangement to help me remember how I had planned it. Here you have an before and after of the top of his cap.

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A detail of his wrist cuff.

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The final photos:

The Front

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The Left Side

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The Right Side

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The Entire Piece with the Captain in Place

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Showing the details without the Captain

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Hugo Seafarer

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Up Close

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Thanks for joining me on this nautical journey!

And thanks for reading!

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