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Making The Butterfly Sculpture

Design and Template Overlay To Wood Carving the Butterfly Shou Sogi Ban Painting The Antenae The Final Piece

Lorum Ipsum

The Monarch Butterfly Wooden Sculpture work in progress update. Most of the carving has been completed, preliminary sanding has commenced and the paint finish is due to go on this weekend, time permitting.

About

The Monarch Butterfly is a Shou Sogi Ban Hand Carved wooden garden fence sculpture made during lockdown to pass the time.

Part 1 The Design

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1. Making The Butterfly Sculpture

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Image 1

CREATING A VISION FOR WHAT I HOPED WOULD BE A MASTERPIECE.

Image 2

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY THE GRUELING PROCESS OF MAKING STUFF.

Image 3

BEHOLD THE FINAL GLORIOUS RESULT A PIECE WORTHY OF PICASSO HIMSELF…

The Monarch Butterfly Wooden Sculpture work in progress update. Most of the carving has been completed, preliminary sanding has commenced and the paint finish is due to go on this weekend, time permitting.

The piece is not as heavy as I initially thought it might be, that's perhaps because pine wood is light and the process of carving probably removes half the weight in wood chips. It will be heavier with paint and varnish of course. I'm looking forward to seeing the the final piece soon.

4 Background to the project

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The Template

A paper template was made which acted as a gauge for the size and shape of the final piece..

Marking Out

The template was then used to draw the shape on several pieces of wood cut to length.

Cutting The Shape

The wood was trimmed to produce the basic wooden shape.

The first cut of the Monarch Butterly taking shape.

The Monarch Butterfly Wooden Sculpture work in progress update. Most of the carving has been completed, preliminary sanding has commenced and the paint finish is due to go on this weekend, time permitting.

The piece is not as heavy as I initially thought it might be, that's perhaps because pine wood is light and the process of carving probably removes half the weight in wood chips. It will be heavier with paint and varnish of course. I'm looking forward to seeing the the final piece soon.

Why did I make this Wooden Butterfly?

This is a question I asked myself a lot during the build process. It was a slow and painstaking process, in the summer, where I carved all the wooden pieces by hand, in a small flat, during lockdown.

5. Carve the Butterfly Antennae

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The antennae, or feelers, are found on the head just above the eyes. Generally, butterfly antennae (left) are 'clubbed', meaning that they are long and thin in the middle but end in a thicker lump, kind of like a golf club. The antennae are not fuzzy or feathery, but look more like wire.

Shou Sugi Ban

CREATING A VISION FOR WHAT I HOPED WOULD BE A MASTERPIECE.

Image 2

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY THE GRUELING PROCESS OF MAKING STUFF.

Image 3

I just love these deep veins in the butnt antenai…

Why did I make this Wooden Butterfly?

This is a question I asked myself a lot during the build process. It was a slow and painstaking process, in the summer, where I carved all the wooden pieces by hand, in a small flat, during lockdown.

3. Burning the Wood - Shou Sugi Ban

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Shou Sugi Ban

CREATING A VISION FOR WHAT I HOPED WOULD BE A MASTERPIECE.

Image 2

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY THE GRUELING PROCESS OF MAKING STUFF.

Image 3

BEHOLD THE FINAL GLORIOUS RESULT A PIECE WORTHY OF PICASSO HIMSELF…

The Monarch Butterfly Wooden Sculpture work in progress update. Most of the carving has been completed, preliminary sanding has commenced and the paint finish is due to go on this weekend, time permitting.

The piece is not as heavy as I initially thought it might be, that's perhaps because pine wood is light and the process of carving probably removes half the weight in wood chips. It will be heavier with paint and varnish of course. I'm looking forward to seeing the the final piece soon.

Why did I make this Wooden Butterfly?

This is a question I asked myself a lot during the build process. It was a slow and painstaking process, in the summer, where I carved all the wooden pieces by hand, in a small flat, during lockdown.

2. Carve Out The Butterfly Shape

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Shou Sugi Ban

CREATING A VISION FOR WHAT I HOPED WOULD BE A MASTERPIECE.

Image 2

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY THE GRUELING PROCESS OF MAKING STUFF.

Image 3

BEHOLD THE FINAL GLORIOUS RESULT A PIECE WORTHY OF PICASSO HIMSELF…

The Monarch Butterfly Wooden Sculpture work in progress update. Most of the carving has been completed, preliminary sanding has commenced and the paint finish is due to go on this weekend, time permitting.

The piece is not as heavy as I initially thought it might be, that's perhaps because pine wood is light and the process of carving probably removes half the weight in wood chips. It will be heavier with paint and varnish of course. I'm looking forward to seeing the the final piece soon.

Why did I make this Wooden Butterfly?

This is a question I asked myself a lot during the build process. It was a slow and painstaking process, in the summer, where I carved all the wooden pieces by hand, in a small flat, during lockdown.

  • The dust was everywhere, which did not help my breathing, especially as I was sure I had the COVID 19 symptoms, but how much of that was real and how much was psychological because of the 24 7 news coverage I couldn’t say.
  • Well the answer to the question is, because why not, my client wanted the thing and I was locked down and up for a challenge to make something with my hands. I needed a break from coding the OnMyBubble.com marketplace platform. Which, if you are reading this, probably works now!!!
  • The Butterfly apparently did did please the client, who praised it a lot…
  • Thanks Mum…