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Art inspired by biology, created by a biologist

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Mulberry Pen – Daniel D. Brown, 2018

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Mulberry Pen – Daniel D. Brown, 2018

I made this pen from a mulberry log that came down in my neighbors backyard.

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Oh and while I was waiting for the glue to dry on that box this weekend, I turned a leftover mulberry scrap from it into this pen on my drill press. Damn, mulberry is pretty. #penturning #mulberry #madeinpittsburgh

A post shared by Laughing Mantis Studio (@laughingmantisstudio) on Jun 26, 2018 at 6:08pm PDT

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June 26, 2018September 25, 2018 LaughingMantisPens & Wands, Woodworkingcarving, diy, drill press, handmade, lathe, mulberry, pen-turning, wood, woodworking

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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.

Shaping of “Bandit” pretty much done. Next com

Shaping of “Bandit” pretty much done. Next comes lots of sanding and then my anxious attempt to capture his colors with spirit stains.
All pieces cut from the same sycamore branch I scavenged from the park nearby, which also became the previous blue jay piece.
...
#scrollsawart #woodintarsia #petportrait #madeinpittsburgh #pittsburghartist

I started a new project: our 14 yr old pup, Bandit

I started a new project: our 14 yr old pup, Bandit! Fun fact: part of how I wooed @tamarynart was by drawing her a picture of Bandit, who she’s had since she was 19 (second pic). I immediately fell in love with him, which was a critical factor in Tamaryn even considering to date me. He’s been my fur-son for 7 yrs now!

He also hasn’t been doing so hot lately. On top of chronic kidney disease, losing 1 eye to cataract and the other following, deaf in the opposite ear, and all the other ailments of old age, his time is clearly waning. But he still has quality of life and we’ve been thankful for all the covid19-induced time we’ve gotten to spend with him, even if it’s just him sleeping next to me while I do computer work from home.

I’m again gonna attempt the inking method I learned from @ingrainedmoments_woodcraft. Hopefully it will turn into a good commemoration of the cutest member of our family!
...
#scrollsawart #woodintarsia #petportrait

I finally finished this little blue jay intarsia p

I finally finished this little blue jay intarsia piece, trying something a little different this time by experimenting with alcohol inks (there are no blue woods as there are no blue pigments in birds - look it up). I have to thank the amazing artist @ingrainedmoments_woodcraft for recommending @chestnutproducts Spirit Stains. Her work is gorgeous!
This piece was inspired by our new bird friend “Hunter”, who has provided practically a David Attenborough-level of wildlife backyard drama during this pandemic. He became relatively habituated to @tamarynart and I, and would “ask” us for nuts multiple times a day. Several times he appeared to “thank” us with a post-nut squawk (clear communication of some sort), and it seems like he may have even tried to barter a few times with cherries he brought us from a nearby tree (taking the nuts, leaving the cherry). Anthropomorphizing aside, he’s an incredibly clever bird. He mated and raised at least 1 chick. Sadly, he also slaughtered and ate Freddie Chirpury the song sparrow’s chicks (hence the name Hunter). This is nature’s way. Very little in nature comes without a mix of beauty, triumph, and tragedy.

***
#scrollsawart #woodintarsia #woodart #pittsburghwoodworking #madeinpittsburgh #bluejay #bluejayart

In progress base stain with @chestnutproducts spir

In progress base stain with @chestnutproducts spirit stains. Definitely need some practice.
#bluejay #scrollsawart

I started a new project. Inspired by the neighborh

I started a new project. Inspired by the neighborhood blue jays we’ve befriended with almonds, and by the work of @ingrainedmoments_woodcraft. I’m doing something a little different this time. I’m gonna at least attempt to color the wood with alcohol inks. I have NO idea how this will look in the end and I won’t be shocked if it doesn’t turn out how I want. But that’s what experiments are for! Note: some of the pieces are so small, I actually had to cut the overall shape in luaun ply just to hold the pieces together while I shape them. They kept falling and going everywhere. So that’s not the actual background I’ll use.
I’m making the bird from this sycamore branch I found and milled up last weekend.
#intarsia #scrollsawart #birdart #bluejays

I finished my octopus bowl! This thing started out

I finished my octopus bowl!
This thing started out just as an excuse to 1) finally use my Xmas gifts from @tamarynart (an @arbortechie minicarver and bowl gouge) and 2) just carve something random outside from a chunk of cherry firewood I had lying around. I also used pretty much all of my @saburrtooth rotary burrs on this thing. It’s not the best thing I’ve carved - pretty lousy anatomical accuracy and the suckers aren’t nearly as detailed as I would have liked. But I just sort of sketched it as I went. After putting a couple weeks into it, I was ready to call it done. Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out for a one-off bowl to hold the TV remotes in our “Lair”. 😂
...
#powercarving #woodsculpture #woodenbowl #octopusart #pittsburghwoodworking #madeinpittsburgh #pittsburghartist

I finished my octopus bowl! This thing started out

I finished my octopus bowl!
This thing started out just as an excuse to 1) finally use my Xmas gifts from @tamarynart (an @arbortechie minicarver and bowl gouge) and 2) just carve something random outside from a chunk of cherry firewood I had lying around. I also used pretty much all of my @saburrtooth rotary burrs on this thing. It’s not the best thing I’ve carved - pretty lousy anatomical accuracy and the suckers aren’t nearly as detailed as I would have liked. But I just sort of sketched it as I went. After putting a couple weeks into it, I was ready to call it done. Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out for a one-off bowl to hold the TV remotes in our “Lair”. 😂
...
#powercarving #woodsculpture #woodenbowl #octopusart #pittsburghwoodworking #madeinpittsburgh #pittsburghartist

Making an octopus bowl using (for the 1st time) my

Making an octopus bowl using (for the 1st time) my Xmas gifts from @tamarynart: an @arbortechie mini carver and ball gouge. Also a ton of @saburrtooth burrs. I tried to do some knife/chisel carving, but this old cherry is just too damned hard. ...
#powercarving #woodcarving #octopusart #woodsculpture #pittsburghartist #pittsburghwoodworking

As a longtime researcher and student of biology an

As a longtime researcher and student of biology and evolution, the entire concept of differential treatment based on such an inconsequential thing as how much melanin pigment is in one’s skin cells is beyond non-sensical. We are all family in a very real, deep, and meaningful sense. The fact that much of the world population still doesn’t seem to understand this, even after almost 2 centuries of this fact being evident, blows my freaking mind.
#blackouttuesday

Forgot I wanted to post the vid of this guy, just

Forgot I wanted to post the vid of this guy, just to have it on my feed. “Darth Maul”, 2020, wooden intarsia.
All natural wood colors, zero paint or stain. Maul was cut on a scrollsaw, and the frame was mostly handcarved with chisels. Made from 11 species of wood: padauk, wenge, walnut, chakte viga, mahogany, purpleheart, redheart, yellowheart, basswood, holly, and ebony.

Darth Maul was a character I didn’t find particularly interesting until Dave Filoni and his team expanded on his story, character, and motivations in Clone Wars. I thought it was pretty sweet how for the final season they brought in both the original Maul @iamraypark and his voice @switwer1. There was 1 particular scene that when I saw it, I immediately knew I needed to make an artwork based on it. Luke @cyclocrosscutter had the same idea, and actually brought it up to me first. One day I sent him a vid of me working on the design and he replied with an identical vid happening at the same time. From there it snowballed into a competition between me, Luke, and Justin @scrollsawscribbler to see who would make the better Wooden Maul piece. They’re both incredibly talented artists/woodworkers, despite this obviously thorough trouncing (there’s your set up, Luke). As I’m sure you will see, Luke will soon claim victory with some heavy-handed gimmickry. We’ll see if he can actually pull it off. If he does, I will bow down in defeat. Justin’s version is pretty dang sweet, though he had significantly less time to devote given he’s neck deep in actual $ commissions. No one can touch Justin in his unique style.
There will be a separate post of all 3 pieces once Luke is done with his. ... #clonewars #starwars #starwarsfanart #darthmaul #scrollsawart #starwarsfan #pittsburghwoodworking #pittsburghartist #woodintarsia #madeinpittsburgh #makergeeks

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