I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Timeworn Ivory

Hello all, great to have your company for a while... I won't keep you long today, I promise!

I'm very excited to have just started doing the Andy Skinner Timeworn Techniques course online, and while we're encouraged to play with the techniques for a while to get comfortable, I had to put one of them straight into action as part of a gift.  

My mother and I put together a configurations box to celebrate my uncle (her brother) and aunt each turning 60 this year, as well as celebrating their 35 year wedding anniversary, and the prospect of shortly becoming grandparents for the first time!  I'll give you a look at the whole box in a post soon, but just wanted to share this little element first.

One thing my uncle has done is to collect netsukes (tiny Japanese ivory figurines - pronounced netsky), so we wanted to put something into the box to commemorate that.  All we could lay hands on was a bright green plastic figurine - but very helpfully the Timeworn workshop had just kicked in, and one of the techniques is for aged ivory... so here's the transformation:


He's quite small... he's with a roll of tissue tape for comparison here, and with a 20p piece below, so that you can see the scale.


The instructions provided by Andy are extremely clear, and easy to follow, but I'll be doing plenty of practice with washes and dry-brushing, all new techniques to me, but it's such fun to be learning.  


I had to go easy with the buffing as the paint was showing a tendency to flake a bit - didn't do my prep fully on the plastic surface, I guess - but I was working to a deadline!


And overall  I'm quite pleased with the results for a first go.


Just a little sneak peek of some bits of the configuration box where he has taken his place... watch this space for more on that, and I'm sure there'll be some more Timeworn experiments to share with you soon too! 

Thanks for dropping in to Words and Pictures today.  I hope you've seen something to tickle or inspire you, and I hope you get to spend at least some time today doing something that brings you joy!

If you believe everything you read, better not read.
Japanese proverb

Fall down seven times, stand up eight.
Japanese proverb

Knowledge is not skill.  Knowledge plus ten thousand times is skill.
Shinichi Suzuki

Best get back to practising then!!

13 comments:

Gio said...

It's so cute!! Well done.

You 'll be enjoying so much the Andy's course :-)

Angelica said...

Great job!!
I'm still looking for something to alter....

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful transformation.
Wishes
Lynne

Julia S-W said...

He's rather wonderful I think! I'm doing the course too and have just started altering my figure - I now realise that I forgot to take the 'before' picture after seeing yours here! I also have lots of pieces of card with various things on them, drying around the room. . . . let's hope they look as they're supposed to look at the end of it all!
Juliaxx

Redanne said...

He is so cute and so tiny! I really like the start of your configuration box, I have not plucked up the courage to do a whole one, I just do separate little boxes one at a time......Andy's course sound fascinating. Crafty hugs, Anne x

Jenny Marples said...

OOoohh, this box looks like a great idea for a special celebration and you have clearly made a fab start on it. LOVE your netsky! That must have been SO fiddly but you have done a great job with it. Hugs, Buttons x

Carol Q said...

ooh, I'm very tempted by this course and you're tempting me more. Doesn't your little netsuke look fab with all that dry brushing.

Sarah said...

I have been wanting to take one of Andy Skinner's classes but for now will have to follow your progress instead. By your results, it looks like a very worthwhile class.

Inkypinkycraft said...

Now that is one fab little dude!!!! Great work trace x

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

Oh this is so cool, Alison. I love altering and your netsuke came out sensational - what a great technique. I must check out that Andy Skinner on-line class, sounds like something that would be a lot of fun!

Neet said...

If I ever finish the Tim course i paid for (done lesson one!!) I would love to do an Andy Skinner one.
This looks so good what you are doing - enjoy!
Hugs, neet xx

Keren Howell said...

That is a TINY little netsuke! He looks so much better in Ivory and putting him in the Configurations box is a brilliant idea.

Shirley said...

What a great transformation, it really is tiny and fits into his little nook so well.
Your Uncle will be impressed I am sure.