Well, here are some pics of a really special project. The buyer had been in contact with me off and on for quite some time to make a custom flute...long story short, after tossing ideas left and right, he asked for a "Jonah and the Whale" theme...and my little mental wheels said "do it!".
It began with with outlining the needed dimensions, designing a little extra at the 'foot' for the overhanging tail...I usually make a flute a tad longer than needed to begin with...
It began with with outlining the needed dimensions, designing a little extra at the 'foot' for the overhanging tail...I usually make a flute a tad longer than needed to begin with...
...Next, I went to my messy but thorough 'wood room' and had thought that Makore, a.k.a African Cherry, would be a wonderful choice. For you musicians and craftsmen, it is an awesome tone-wood for instruments... I had this idea of a whale going up the flute, with it's fluke hanging over the end of the barrel. Have I ever done something like this before? No. Have I ever done a relief carving before? No. But I knew I could. How was I going to create a "Jonah" for the flute? I had no idea...
So I began measuring...and choosing the appropriate bit for the bore...
and began cutting...
gluing...
...and then planing/shaping down to size...
What was tricky was making the final product a certain key...as you remove wood, the pitch rises, so I had to keep it pitched quite flat through many of the intermediary steps, lest I finish with the flute above pitch. You can easily raise the pitch, but lowering it?...ah, Excedrin headache #724...
As it got closer to completion, I found a diagram of a whale to serve as my model and spatial marker...enlarged it to a size appropriate for my working space...a wee bit tricky to translate and adapt it to a 3-D rounded surface... But, ultimately, it worked!
And so, the detailing/carving went, some with Dremel bits, some wood burning inbetween steps, using other hand knives...I knew, too, I needed to keep the fluke/tail area a little thick and 'supported' so it would not be prone to breaking off down the road. To top it off, I decided to use a hand-rubbed salad bowl finish on the wood for a beautiful realistic appearance...(click to enlarge any photo)Then came the "Jonah" issue...decided to make it a composite block in 3 woods, with the boat being in the style (just not scale) of a Galilean fishing boat (see photo detail)...
...the Jonah figure is only 1.25" tall and, luckily, nothing broke! The three pieces were joined/anchored by a dowel for extra sturdiness...part of my last-minute version was to have Jonah face the player, adding the whale's approach from the briny deep behind him, though the block is reversible...
...and, well, as they say, "the bird flew!" After a little hand-rubbing with some wax, it will hit the mail this afternoon to it's new home.Just like Life...the Joy is in the Journey...the Process...not the end result, as pleasurable as it may well be...this flute has only just begun it's Journey of providing music for others the enjoy.
Make sure you live your Life LARGE! Life is NOT a dress rehearsal...
5 comments:
Bob,
Wow! It's absolutely gorgeous, and such incredible detail! VERY nice work!
Suzy :)
Bob,
The flute is awesome! Mike is a good friend of mine and it always makes me happy when one of my friends gets something special. The more of your work I see, the more I realize we are lucky you are out there making incredible flutes. Keep up the good work and know I will be hunting you down one day to make a flute me.
Mark Slater
All I can say, Mark, is I follow my Heart...I have to trust it leads me in Good and Proper Ways. Wait 'til you hear the voice on that puppy...I bow in humble thanks it all worked out. Pilamayaye!
Bob, This flute is really something special ! Your craftsmanship and artistry surpass my expectations. I knew it was going to be very good, but I didnt really expect this good!! The details on the Blue whale and Jonah in his boat, even down to Jonah's shirtsleeves and to the ripples around the boat are exquisite! And then there"s the voicing. It plays so sweet! It speaks so easily with the slightest amount of breath...a true joy to play. I know there are subtleties in its voice I havent found yet, but will enjoy searching for each one. Thanks again for bringing this dream flute into reality ! Blessings Mike
*a humble bow* - my job is done and yours is just beginning. I was honored to make it for you, and I know you'll bring Jonah to Life if you haven't already. And so the Circle of Life continues...AHO!
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