The Next Great Whale (4).

The Last Leg of the Whale is 'In Progress'.

If my whale has a last leg then I'm on it

I bet I'll be at this painting job for 10 - 14 days because my daily schedule can only be considered 'full on.'

"But Gord, you're retired," some will say.

"Yes, and I have a motorcycle (Saturday looks perfect for a BLT and ice cream in Port Bruce), a couple of other jobs on my workshop agenda, a fun and fitness routine, the house is being painted, my wife is making soup (I'm her sidekick) and that's just Page One of my 'busy sheet'."

That being said, now that I have my paints and brushes lined up like ducks in a row, I will keep at it here and there, now and then.

 It's going to get messy before it's all done

 I'm not sure if the GREAT Canadian whale will look angry or happy!

Lots of room for the Toronto Maple Leaf : )

More to follow.

Please link to The Next Great Whale (3)

Photos GH

The Next Great Whale (3).

Almost Ready for the Maple Leaf.

Lots of sanding ahead.

I have done the chiseling, done the low relief. Soon I will be painting a Maple Leaf. But first I have to raise a lot of dust.

The sanding I have to do will take some time - it's fussy work - but will set me up for the lengthy final task, i.e, painting all surfaces, hopefully with a steady hand.

The rough surface of the Great Canadian Whale, Bruin, Stanley Cup, deep sea and outer edge of the pine board is more clearly seen in the following photographs:

White pine barn board has a rough surface for paint

The Bruin team better watch out next year, for sure!

 The small pine knot will soon become a hockey puck.

Below is a photograph revealing a 1950's Toronto Maple Leaf hockey crest. I may use that version of the crest as my inspiration for the Great Whale's own hockey jersey, the kind that won't shrink under water.

Yup, that's me circa late 1950s. Still a fan.

More 'work in progress' updates to follow.

Please link to The Next Great Whale (2)

Photos GH 

The Next Great Whale (2).

Low Relief = A Lot of Pine Shavings.

There will be a lot more shavings on the floor before I finish.

I think there is an official name for what I am doing with a set of palm chisels and pine slats. Bas-relief or low-relief sculpture is likely it, in which the picture depicted is part of the wall or material used, and is only a little bit thicker than the background. 

I often say "I'm busy carving a whale,' but because it is not a 3-D whale then 'carving' does not best describe what I'm doing. I'm sketching a picture and removing a lot of wood chips from around the picture, that's what I'm doing. And it takes time.

 Initial sketch of a Boston Bruin, ready to give up the game!

 Lots of work ahead, removing the wood's surface from around the outline.

The Great Whale's mission - secure the Stanley Cup!

The time to sand and paint is at least 3 - 4 days away.

Little by little I will remove a lot of the surface layer of the pine barn board before I give it all a good sanding. Adding to the detail, I will try to carve away the wood around the letter B on the Bruin's sweater - an idea suggested by my 6-year-old neighbour Evan. Then I will add a Toronto Maple Leaf to the side of the whale. Yipes.

Fun times ahead!

Please link to The Next Great Whale (1).

Photos GH

The Next Great Whale (1).

The Long and Winding Wooden Road.

This next woodworking project will take a bite out of my time.

You may not know this, but Canada is home to some pretty serious whales. They can be seen in the Atlantic, the Pacific and in the St. Lawrence River too (e.g., near the mouth of the Saguenay River in Quebec).

Then there's the lesser known and rarely seen Great Lake Ontario Whale. Large and feisty, living near Toronto, and quite the boisterous hockey fan I am told. And it's a fan - along with millions of land-lubbers - that is getting impatient for the return of the Stanley Cup to its chosen surf and turf.

This next woodworking art piece - started yesterday pm - is dedicated to this feisty, boisterous, true blue, impatient species.

Photos From The Workshop:

White pine barn board and a rough sketch are at the ready. 

This long-term enemy of the whale better watch out, I say

The sketch is almost done. Where's the Bruin?

Before adding the Bruin I started removing thin layers of wood with small chisels

Skimming off the wood is a lengthy process.

To be continued.

Please link to Whale At Play - Fini!

Photos GH

Porch Swing Project... Fini! (3).

The Swing is a Smooth Ride.

All cedar slats are stained or varnished. The set up begins.

The porch swing was easy to set up. The metal frame under the bench comes with four hooks and I just had to attach the four chains to the right height.

Hooks are visible on each end of the angle iron.

The metal frame, to which the swing's bench is attached, is sturdy as can be. Four chains can be seen under the arm rests and I just had to pick up the frame in one hand and the bench in the other and make sure the hooks went through the lowest link on each chain. Easy work for Charles Atlas!

Within 2 - 3 minutes I was swingin'.

There's only one more thing to do now (besides a two-minute task of adding a second coat of red paint to the side panels of the metal frame).

The Final Set-up:

Once the swing is on the front porch, just steps away from its former home on my neighbour's porch, I'm going to sit on the swing - with my feet up on a small table - and invite my neighbours over for a visit.

We'll see how long it takes before they realize the swing they placed on the curb has been refurbed, rescued or rejuvenated.

I give them 15 seconds!

Please link to Porch Swing Rejuvenation Project (2).

Photos GH

Porch Swing Rejuvenation Project (2).

Positive Progress is Made.

When I saw the porch swing on the curb beside my house, "And now it's mine."

It needed paint, and I have paint.

Second coat went on faster than the first, as per usual.

This rescue and rejuvenation project is proceeding at a fairly easy pace. A few bolts and screws had to be tightened, or added to a couple of cracks that had developed over the years. Done.

Slats for the back rest had to be sanded and then lined up like ducks in a row for two coats of varnish. Done.

 Back rest slats are sanded. Stubborn residue remains.

How will these scuffed up slats look once varnished? 

Two coats of new varnish later, the cedar slats look AOK!

The slats for the seat were also sanded (lots of grunge removed!) and after two coats of light-brown stain were applied, I quickly put them back into place - with the original brass screws. Sweet deal.

No evidence now of the past years' of use. Shiny like a new dime.

Arm rests needed a bit of paint. Easy work.

Arm rests will soon get a second coat, then be re-attached along with the back rest slats, and the metal frame of the swing will go through the car wash - all perhaps by nightfall - to be followed by my first relaxing ride on the 'new and improved' porch swing!

Please link to Porch Swing Rejuvenation Project (1).

Photos GH

Porch Swing Rejuvenation Project (1).

"It's Cedar! And Now It's Mine!!"

Flash Gordon, that's me.

Don't tell my neighbour's, but two minutes after they placed "an old backyard swing" onto their front lawn last week - near the curb for removal - oh, I removed it all right.

At first sight I was just curious. I walked over and took a quick look at the grungy, moss-covered slats and faded metal frame and thought...

"I see a couple of broken bits on the frame. But I've got wood screws. And it's cedar, for sure. It simply needs a good sanding (and I've got a sturdy belt sander) and fresh paint (and I've got lots of stain and varnish and indoor/outdoor latex). And now it's mine."

So, rejuvenation is underway. Might be all done by the end of the weekend.

Photo Reel:

 You can't hurt this sturdy frame with cedar armrests.

 A few screws were properly placed and all were tightened. Sturdy!!

 After lots of sanding (that was the real work) we're ready for stain, etc.

 I got a good workout by stirring up an old bucket of stain.

 The artist in me appreciates the curvy designs as I stir up the pot.

First coat applied before Friday suppertime. Next coat this PM.

So, this new and improved "porch swing" will be done in no time and I'll then be inviting my neighbours over for a comfy sit down. We'll see if they recognize their old piece of lawn furniture.

That should be a bit of fun!

Please link to Gathering on the Green, June 1, 2019.

Photos GH

Whale At Play - Fini!

Is the Whale Just Goofing Around?

Methinks the whale is giving the wee boat the 'Evil Eye'

For the curious, I am going to say the whale is a Right Whale and a hungry one at that.

And I'm also going to say that the sailboat is in the wrong place at the wrong time, from the sailor's point of view at least.

"Oh yeah, that's the Evil Eye for sure!"

For those more knowledgeable than me - and there are more than a few readers like that out there - I will admit that the Right Whale is a pretty good size creature, with a good sized stomach, but it's not likely it would eat a small boat - or the family (with two young children) that is hiding under the gunwales in the scene above!

That being said, a lot of strange or unpredictable things can happen out in the ocean.

Today I will set up my table saw and cut the next few canvasses for a series of art projects related to whales. I have a lovely piece of white barn board (12" x 48") and another of dark western cedar (8" x 48") that I will divide easily into 4 - 6 smaller pieces. And thereafter I will be kept busy with palm chisels for quite some time.

More to follow.

PS. The following note appears on the backside of "Whale At Play."

Wrong place. Wrong time.

Please link to Workshop Variety Pack (3)

Photos GH