Any other fellas into traditional archery do any painting or drawing? I know several guys in trad circles that are artists in their own right...bowyers, arrowsmiths, leather crafters, knife makers. Seems like a lot o traditional shooters have a creative side to them. I worked this picture up after looking at some elk photos online. Hope to arrow one some day!
I'm not artistic but have seen some really great stuff on here through the years. There was a woman who did paintings that wrapped around the cresting area of an arrow, the were amazing!
Yup. Just an ordinary, everyday, watercolor artist. Used to illustrate text books long ago, but do botanical illustrations as needed. Mostly a typical barn painter now that paints landscapes and my grand kids on occation, but belong to some plain air groups, an art guild, and used to belong to a large life drawing group a few years ago. 'Bout it. Shoot my old Bears moe now.
I'm a traditional archer but not an artist, all though I'm married to one. Here are a couple of 3' benches that were hand painted by my wife. She also does wildlife art (moose, bear, elk, etc) painted on old house windows for wall hanging. We sell them to several stores out in Colorado & one in Arkansas & Cheyenne
I used to do some painting, carved ventriloquist figures professionally, now do a lot of quilting... oh, and made 48 laminated Hill style bows, but the trees that grew the beautifl wood were the real artists on those 8^)
Here (I hope is a link to some of my quilts, all made with restored antique sewing machines:
http://dickwightman.com/quilts/myquilts.htm
And here is pic of me with two of my hand carved friends:
Its amasing what you guys can do it really is awsome all of you. As I was going down the thread and reading I'd say wow look at this one then go to the next and holy moly lookie here now at this and then wow they are all great.
The snook or is it a tarpon ? It really peeked my interest. Reds decoys look great also as well as all others its hard to think which one is better they are are unique in their own right.
The part I like best about Woody's elk is that you can feel the animal stretching its neck and mouth and pushing the air out. Can't do that with a photo.
Had to break out the old phone to add this, since all my pics are on it still. Good thing it still works on wifi. As I said I dont draw much anymore but with our boys club at church we do a cubcar race every year so that tends to be a creative outlet for me. Here are some I have done.
Wow! Overwhelming the variety of things we do! Since it is broadening out a bit, here is another of mine, designing and building self sailing model boats. These steer by an old mechanical self-steering system called Braine Gear, popular for nodels from about 1920 through the 60's. Not for sale, you gotta build it
Cdumas, those dogs would be comfy! Every Christmas my wife puts out the nativity set from her grandmother. Very old - all cloth and wire. Some of the sheep are laying down and one always gets a comfy spot on that couch.
I'm extremely amused that the two posts before me are by "Woody" and "Buzz". Anyone else see the movie "Toy Story"? ;D
I'm an artist and my day job is a framer (you know a guy who needs to be taken out? Nahhh not that kind of framer) so I get to see some interesting stuff.
I also draw a bit, like the sketch I did of one of my hens here. I also play with polymer clay, sometimes making sculptures or in the cases below, forming it around a goose egg and an ostrich egg.
Is it possible to post multiple photos in one post? I'm not seeing an option to do so, and when I try clicking "add photo" it just replaces the image I had already put up.
Goose egg with polymer clay and crystal, gave it to my aunt as a gift when she beat breast cancer.
This was formed around an ostrich egg, cured, broken off the egg and then glued together. Entered it into a show and the person giving it back broke it up again so now its in pieces that I should really get to putting back together. Onefun thing about polymer clay is that it's really easy to make faux semi-precious stone with it, so this piece looks a lot like jade in person.
Amazing how artistry flows in so many wonderful directions!..You folks are talented!..
I'm not much on boating..but always wanted to build a wooden boat..like a west coast style river drift boat..
I used to do a lot of pen & ink landscape art..Never was much good at people or animals..
I can knap stone pretty well..and I've carved a lot of critters over the years..( if useing a Dremel is considered carving..:) I've made a few of thes horned toad lizards from moose antler..colored them a tad with dye..Used to have some for short term pets as a kid..Jim
I do a bit of pencil drawing and antler crafting, with some carving and inlay. I spent my break attempting to copy your original submission, woody. Pretty rough version using an old #2 school pencil. Post more later when I dig 'em outta storage.
Dire Wolf, that lizard is amazing! I thought it was real! And of course using a dremel is carving, using a hammer and chisel is carving, pretty much anything that removes material is carving.
My son's copy of a J.J. Henry trade rifle built out of all scrap and discard parts. .50 mountain rifle .32 squirrel rifle 20 ga. trade gun Hawkenized Thomson Center rifle Hawken rifle (Ithaca kit)
Reddogge, I like that .32 cal rifle..:)Have a few friends who made and got into the wholle mountain man thing..With archery..I just couldn't divide my tiem and attention to do both..
I have cut, seasoned and made some fine wood bows over the past years..Jim
TrapperKayak, the rifle was for my 11 year old son so I bought the barrel from a barrel maker who was a friend and he sold it cheap because it had a flaw in the last 6". I cut it off and recrowned it so it was perfect for a boy. The stock was bought for $5 from a friend who cut the buttstock too short for him. It was originally a $125 piece of wood. The trigger guard came from a junk bin as well as the buttplate. Patchbox, toeplate, side plate, thimbles, nose cap, sights, and trigger I made. The lock was the only thing that was bought new and I believe it came from Dixie Gun Works. Ironically it came out in a size that can be shot by an adult. It's just a real light little rifle.
Reddogge, you have one lucky son. Those rifles are real nice work. I bet they are fun to shoot and great to just look at and hold. Wow. White Falcon. Pardon my ignorance. What are the bones used for? Thx.
Don't know about being an artist but I am definitely artistic. I have carved 3 D, Wood and stone, Do carve and checker and have built custom rifles and shotguns,. Done a lot of artistic stone, tile and cement work on custom homes and office buildings,. Paint western and wildlife art in oils, acrylics and watercolors and build custom bows. Here is a watercolor I painted from scratch at a paintout in Jacksonville ,Oregon. Two hour paintout with no props or pictures.I'm kind of proud of this one because it won no judged ribbons but won peoples choice over all media.
For all reading this that chalk what we make up to "talent"; An artist friend gave me some words of wisdom years ago when I told him I wish I had his talent. He said; "I don't have any talent, I have just done the same thing over and over again until I got it right".
His profound statement allowed me to venture out into creative areas I never would have if I thought one needed talent make these things.
You will notice few of us show off our first attempt.
My first duck looked I hacked it out with a hatchet.
My first bow was so poorly made that it blew up after 30 shots in spite of being sinew backed.
I am not showing off my first flintlock either, so there you go.
Wise thots, Eric..My first attempts at knapping stone have come a long way since I got intrigued after finding paleo artifacts on our farm over 60 years ago ..and wondered?.."HOW DID THEY DO THIS?"..
It's about desire, tools, & useing them properly..Material selection..and then good practice..:) Jim
Eric-so true. I try to learn something new from each thing I draw. There are a lot more failures than success. I built a red oak board bow that blew up in my face and my first and only selfbow attempt resulted in the ugliest bow known to man. Same way with my first, early sketches. But I always try to keep some of my old stuff around to see how far I've come and how far I hope to go.
My first drawings were when I was 3 so I have had a real long time to 'get it right'. Got pretty good by middle school. I've taken a lot of time 'off' in the last 20 years unfortunately. Now I am trying to get it back. Nice points dire wolf. I probably won't have enough years to get anywhere close to that. I do want to start though. Desire equals success??
TrapperKayak, The desire and the vision are starting points for our best endeavors in any area..Hard to get anywhere unless you know where it is you want to go..what you want to accomplish..and are teachable-willing to learn..
The reason why many folks don't get what they want or accomplish what they want in life is they aren't firm in what they want or are afraid to fail and then feel inept or dumb..
Get over one's fear of failure and learn and try..another key to success..
People are continually amazed by those who are not afraid to try..:) BTW..That's me on the right..wife on the left..:)Jim
Dire wolf, good thinking. Fear trumps pretty much everything. Go forth fearlessly (helps ME to be in the company of the Lord in all journeys), and most anything can be realized. I have been fortunate to have been successful at most things - not all though. The ones where I failed were the ones where I feared. Nice perspective w/ the owl. Some continually look behind them...fearfully. My wife has one of those (someone not right in the head). :)
I'm not real sure why my wingbones are showing up under other people's names. And my name is showing up on some duck decoys. Anybody else's pictures screwing up like that??
I decided to do my gun hunting with flintlocks about 10 or so yrs. ago. Didn't want to wait a yr or more to have one built so built them myself.
Built 2 and decided I just didn't have the patience for it so decided to build 2 more for all my gun hunting except squirrel..I like rim fire and pellet guns for squirrels..most of the time.
First build was for spring gobblers a 20ga. with open choke. did kill a hog with it using No. 6's..at about one long step shot behind the ear.. and a few squirrels, several gobblers.
You guys rock, so much talent, glad to see you aint on the couch, like the flinters, Im a flintlock builder too, and a blacksmith/metal artist. all out of metal, old file cabinets, scrap an such.
I was going to put a few pictures of game killed with my flintlocks..but decided I probably shouldn't on Bowsite..if I knew how to delete this one I would.
Anyway, Second a .54 cal. rifle..never killed anything with it anyway..or shot at any game..but it was a shooter.
Fourth and last.. I hunt only public land and a lot of gobblers would hang up just over 30yds..so decided to built another 20 with Colerain Turkey Choke barrel. built a little 20ga. real lightweight..little over 6lbs. with a Colerain Turkey Choke barrel for all my spring gobbler hunting...and a little squirrel hunting.
Only decent pictures I got of it have a squirrel or gobbler in them.
My niece helped me carry my scroll saw from the garage into the kitchen so I could modify my plywood patterns without putting on my parka and snow boots.
Eric, you are so right on the first or early attempts at carving. Since mine went into my rig I didn't really care what they looked like and certainly the ducks didn't care but they embarrass me now. I've given away so many out of my rig I'm running out of good ones to give away.
When I was on a hunting trip in Nebraska 15 years ago I found this bullet holed wreck of a 1956 ford Ranchwagon abandoned on the farm. I traded the farmer a $100 Walmart certificate for the car and dragged it home on a flat bed.
During the next few years I did a frame off restoration. Not only did I do all,the repair and body work, I installed a complete EFI engine and running gear from a donor late model mustang.
Fast forward to Fall of 2014. My wife and I drove the Ranchwagon from our home near Seattle east on I90 to chicago, then followed the two lane old Route 66 to the southwest, then back to seattle. 6400 miles and had a wonderful time.
[IMG]http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h474/nigelkylatrista/imagejpg2_zpsa40fe3f0.jpg[/IMG] First time posting here so not sure if this worked. If it did I've got some prints made of this if anyones interested.
Because there is a chevy under every bush. When you drive a classic, really rare and good looking Ford wagon it draws way more attention and comments than just another chevy.
MAN OH MAN!!! Those boats, flintlocks and "flies" are speaking to me!!! And the Ranchwagon is about the coolest restore I've ever seen! You guys are awesome!!!
Wow! There are a lot of people here with a lot of talent. I have no such talents but I appreciate and respect those that do. I spend a lot of my time writing. I have written 19 books and getting ready to begin #20. Those posting pictures should be proud of their skills, I wish I could do some of those things. Thanks for sharing.
Bishotuwa.. I drove an FJ40 Toyota Landcruiser for a number of years about that vintage..:)
Nice bow!..Too!..
Yes..talent and artistry is not limited to the easel and paint.. One of my other small artistic talents in making and restroing old smoking pipes( tobacco)..This one is meerschaum with amber stem over 150 years old from Bavaria..:)Jim
Wow Stoner! The most I've done with stone was to carve a tiny soapstone rose. It started off 1/2" tall and ended up 1/4" because I kept breaking off the petals. ;)
and I'll reiterate my earlier thots on artistry..:)
The desire and the vision are starting points for our best endeavors in any area.. Hard to get anywhere unless you know where it is you want to go..what you want to accomplish..and are teachable-willing to learn..
The reason why many folks don't get what they want or accomplish what they want in life is they aren't firm in what they want or are afraid to fail and then feel inept or dumb..
Get over one's fear of failure and learn and try..another key to success..
People are continually amazed by those who are not afraid to try..:) Jim
woodinhand.. I think that one has been 'upgraded a bit..Cummins turboed diesel..drive train, tranny.and of course paint..:) Wish it was mine..:)
My own truck these days is a '95 Ford F150..A bit over 100K on the 4.9 liter inline gas six and five speed ..I DO have a bed in the back for the outings tho..:)Jim
Not me. Duct tape and superglue kinda guy. Nice to see a lot of you guys have artistic skills. Blood on the side of trees doesn't count as painting, does it?
Thanks Calvin. Amazing stuff on here. No clue when I started this thread it would take off like this. I mainly lurk here anymore, but glad to see all the positive responses.
I haven't seen any work in this media so I thought I'd share. It's been so long since I did this I can't even remember what it's called. It's a black piece of card stock stuff and you scratch off the black with an exacto knife to reveal the white.
dire wolf - thanks for the compliment & I did have that nickname a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away when I toured with the Greatful Dead. Those days are long gone but good people still get stoned (AKA Mary). LOL John
Mary's got a brand new hand, brand new hand, brand new hand and the stone was white as snow, and everywhere that Mary went the hand was sure to go. Smile John
GreyDrakkon, The top one is a solid piece of abalone I cut out of the shell and shaped with a Dremel, and cut out the burr with a Dremel, then glued it in. The bottom one was cut out of the burr with the Dremel, and then I mixed up different pieces of stone and abalone in epoxy and placed it in the cavity. After carving the abalone several times not using a face mask, I was told that it is poisonous to breathe the dust. I didn't keel over though, but it is cumulative over time. Enough and it can kill you I heard. Just take heed anyone intending to cut abalone, use a good air filter mask. I sold a bunch of deer burr inlays and didn't take pics. Wish I had...
There are some really great artists on here.......awesome work guys. I paint some with acrylics ....haven't tried oils or watercolor. Can do some pencil drawings. I mess around with some wood and make rustic crosses and picture frames. But my passion is designing jewelry and working with gourds. Since I started hunting 2 years ago I have started adding antlers when I can find some sheds.