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Laughing Mantis Studio

Art inspired by biology, created by a biologist

  • The Art of Daniel D. Brown, Ph.D.
    • Woodworking
    • Pastel Pencil
    • Graphite Pencil
    • 3D Digital Art
    • 2D Digital Art
    • Paintings
    • Sculptures
    • Pet Portraits
    • Jewelry & Hangers
    • 3D Animation
    • Ocean Invasion Series
    • Science Art
  • Shop
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You can see my frequently-updated works-in-progress by following @laughingmantisstudio

laughingmantisstudio

Daniel D. Brown, Ph.D. | Breast Cancer Research Scientist
Woodworker/Artist
Husband to @tamarynart.
AKA: @danieldbrownphd
Pittsburgh, PA.
“Power. I have it. They don’t. This bothers th “Power. I have it. They don’t. This bothers them.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All natural wood color, no paint or stain. After a brutally long work day filled with breast cancer, it’s nice to sit down and post about some fun slayage! I’ve been a massive Buffy/ @sarahmgellar fan for many years, having watched it all many times. Tori Angelini (@toricangelini) and I had a bunch of little interactions over the past few years over random woodworking/art things. But then she let it slip that she’s a massive Buffy fan too, and our conversations sorta snowballed into randomly sent Buffy/geeky things (I seem to have a lot of entertainment interests in common with her hubby @matt.angelini as well). She and @tam_a_ryn also bonded over hot sauces, and she even sent us some hot sauce along with a bunch of her wood/epoxy ornaments for Christmas. Anyway, I knew I had to do something for her in return, and I wanted to wait long enough for it to be a total surprise. I first thought about making their little one a baby rattle. And then I thought maybe a simplistic Buffy piece for her and an “Appa” for Matt. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew I had to do Buffy and make it rad. I mean Tori is an obsessive fan. A fanatic, even! You should ask her about her experience having a “Cameo” conversation with James Marsters AKA Spike. Kudos to Matt for getting her that! 😂 So I settled on this design I roughly based on the season 1 DVD cover. Note: I’m intentionally leaving out Joss Whedon discussion in this post. It’s obviously been disappointing. But Buffy still rocks in all her campy, angsty glory. Made from Bloodwood, mahogany, purpleheart, pine, basswood, ebony, holly, elm, European cherry, and walnut. I think it turned out five by five. … #buffythevampireslayer #buffysummers #scrollsaw #scrollsawart #woodsculpture #intarsia #woodintarsia
It’s a box. I made the “you put your weed in It’s a box. I made the “you put your weed in there” joke to @tam_a_ryn. Alas, she’s too young to have seen the classic SNL sketches. She just looked at me and said deadpan “is that a reference to something?” 😂 I made this completely from scavenged wood: crabapple near my work killed by ants, black walnut cut beneath a power line, a neighbor’s maple, and a random elm log from the side of the road. … #dovetailjoint #woodenbox #woodworking
Back before I started my R2-D2 Tiffany-style lamp, Back before I started my R2-D2 Tiffany-style lamp, I designed this little cardinal to be my first ever stained glass project (for @tam_a_ryn). After cutting like 3 pieces I was like “nah. I’m just gonna jump in and make the lamp.” The glass and template has been sitting on a shelf ever since. I finally got around to cutting the rest of it and soldering it together. The soldering is REALLY bad. Like I didn’t realize just how bad until I put patina on it. But whatever. It still looks pretty. I may go back and fix it. But more likely I’ll just move on to something else. … #stainedglass #cardinal #homedecor
Congrats to my friend and labmate Ashu (@ashuvinee Congrats to my friend and labmate Ashu (@ashuvinee11) - now “Dr. Elangovan” - for successfully defending her dissertation entitled “Loss of E-Cadherin Activates a Targetable IGF1R Pathway in Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer”. I made this placard from African mahogany and maple. I also generated the breast cancer organoids she used in her dissertation work in the @leeoesterreichlab. 😛 … #piledhigheranddeeper #scientist
I’ve been meaning to make an actual post of this I’ve been meaning to make an actual post of this for a couple weeks. Long story, short: I lied about not liking this watercolored-sycamore background. It was intended all along as 1 of 2 pieces, the second of which would be given to Luke @cyclocrosscutter. A long time ago in a galaxy… well… here, Luke surprised me with a badass purpleheart and walnut Mjolnir with hand-routered details (swipe). He said I had to make him an intarsia in exchange. So I actually made two versions of Boba’s/Jabba’s Palace. If you look closely at the stories from this build on my profile, you can see that there are actually 2 of each piece. Luckily he’s not that observant. I decided to give him this one, mainly because I figured it’s a bit different from his own work. He could slap a few pieces of different colored wood together for the sky as easily as I can. But I felt like this one was a bit more “artistic”. Everything else is the same, except the palace itself is made from lombardy poplar (not related to construction “poplar” you find at big box stores, which is actually tulipwood) instead of sycamore. And the frame is different because this was all I had that was long enough (it’s roadside walnut firewood salvage). Go to his page to see it hanging on his wall of awesome geeky scrollsaw art. PS please don’t ask for similar trades. It stressed me out trying to figure out what to make him 😂😂. I’m not sure it matches Mjolnir in coolness, but at least it does in time invested! … #scrollsawart #scrollsaw #intarsia #woodintarsia #starwars #starwarsfanart #bobafett #mandalorian #maytheforcebewithyou #woodworking #woodsculpture #jabbathehutt
Jabba’s/Boba’s Palace. All natural wood colors Jabba’s/Boba’s Palace. All natural wood colors (no paint or stain). Note: I’ll be posting multiple versions of this. This one has bad lighting/color. But you can see the totally superfluous lights, which I’m glad I added! Built from purpleheart, bloodwood, mahogany, chakte viga, yellowheart, yew, sycamore, walnut, bocote, crab apple, wenge, hickory, Lombardi poplar, and maple. This was a replacement for a smaller, simpler version I made a few years ago. I think practice has paid off a little. I started this thing 3 months ago, and I’m so glad to be done! … #bobafett #bookofbobafett #starwars #starwarsfan #starwarsfanart #jabbathehutt #maytheforcebewithyou #scrollsaw #scrollsawart #intarsia #woodintarsia #woodsculpture #woodworking #makersgonnamake #makersofinstagram #geekart
I have a face. I don’t show that I’m a real pe I have a face. I don’t show that I’m a real person enough, or so I’ve been told by like 2 people. So here was me unshowered in sweats giddily testing the electronics in the R2 lamp base. With Kylo watching. Fun fact: since we first got him, Kylo has had 1 stuffed animal he loves FAR above all others and he carries it to bed every night; her name is “Rey” (swipe for Kylo with Rey now and 7 months ago). It used to be the only toy he humped, but not since he was neutered. Yes that’s a Star Wars sweater. And I’m using my Star Wars table. #dork. Video by wifey (swipe) @tam_a_ryn @tamarynart.
#leglamp. I figured I’d finally make a post on t #leglamp. I figured I’d finally make a post on this lamp base I’ve been making for my R2 Tiffany shade. Yes it’s a leg lamp. 😂. Note: it’s only very roughly inspired by R2’s leg, and I’m designing it on the fly with no plans. But I think it’ll be neat when done. It will also have sound, which is of course totally unnecessary and on-brand. #starwars #tiffanylamp #woodworking #r2d2 #starwarsfanart
Sometimes people I know have babies. If I have tim Sometimes people I know have babies. If I have time, I like to quickly make them a little something.
Work-in-progress: I decided to learn the art of st Work-in-progress: I decided to learn the art of stained glass, primarily because I thought it’d be cool to make a Tiffany-inspired R2-D2 lamp. And because I’ve been itching to try it since I discovered @woodland_porpoise_workshop’s work. Jumping straight to a 3D glass project with zero glass cutting or soldering experience perhaps wasn’t the most rational decision. But it’s been a fun one so far! Hopefully it comes together in the end! A very special thanks goes to the brilliant stained-glass artist Hanna of @sandandfireworks for always being willing to give me pointers and for her endlessly educational stories. I haven’t finished Boba’s/Jabba’s Palace yet - mainly because I haven’t had much “loud saw time” in the shop. And now my glass crap is everywhere, which I don’t want coated in sawdust. But I’ll get back to it soon. … #stainedglassart #starwarsfan #maytheforcebewithyou #r2d2 #starwars #tiffanylamp
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