Playtime-Second Half

My spaghetti squash with calligraphy has been drying under a slight weight to prevent the shell from curling up too much.  It is time to commence the second half of the game.

I intend to etch out the calligraphy by following the brushstrokes with a cutting tool.  My plan is to have the writings appear to be hollowed out fonts.  My Dremel is summoned for the job.  I am going to use an Rotozip bit, assuming that is the correct tool for my fun game.

I am getting a quick lesson in humility.  My assumption is not quite correct.  The Rotozip bit is too harsh for the brittle thin skin of the dried squash and takes out a whole chunk of the shell before I can cuss.  I believe my bit was designed for drywalls. 

The alternative is a burring bit.  I should have used that in the first place.  The project takes longer since the burring bit does not remove as much material as readily as the cut out bit.  The hollowed out lines are much better defined though.  I suppose there's always a trade off.  So am I a dentist now?

I have a piece of red craft paper handy so I used that as an underlayment to the hollowed out writings.

I like what I am seeing.  I am going ahead with more pieces of the squash.

I am also curious to see what the cut outs look like when light passes through the openings,

I think the light show is much more captivating than the carving itself.

This is fun.

Someone asks me why I do this.  Is there a purpose in all this?

"I do it just because I can"

Still goofing off

I am going to try to paint my horses again.  I haven't given up yet.

My last attempt at painting 4 horses was ok.  One of the horses looked deformed, afflicted with osteomalacia.  I promised myself to do better.  Time to redeem myself.

I shall concentrate more on form and gesture this time around.  A silhouette comes to mind.

The equine on the right seems a bit off. Its shoulder looks strange, and its head is placed too far to the right. Or maybe its front legs are too far to the left?

Too late to cry over spilled milk, I am forging on.

 

The front left leg of the last horse still looks unnatural, I still need to study how to place the bend.

Then an idea comes to me, I should insert a horse behind the first two horses, to diffuse the bad shoulder of the second horse.

In this composition, the head of one horse protrudes from behind the left horse, utilizing its tail and rear quarter to modify the shoulder line of its adjacent counterpart. The three horses appear to have merged into a cohesive entity. Composition wise we have a multitude of three contrasting with two separate ones, fitting in with the idea of variation and harmony  

While the initial appearance may be somewhat chaotic or jumbled, the composition is functionally effective. It presents three horses grouped together, followed by two additional horses. This arrangement imbues the work with energy and dynamic motion.

I will use this formula for my future attempts.