Some afternoons you write.
Some afternoons you take old barn lumber and make wearable skull masks, complete with display stand.
No wonder people worry about my mental state.
Normally, when I build things, I spend a lot of time making scale drawings and building it in my head to make sure all the pieces will fit before I make any cuts.I measure and mark all my lumber carefully, and check everything twice before the first sawdust flies. On this piece, I just went nuts with a jigsaw. No measurements, no straightedges, no squares. I just laughed maniacally and cut.
Surprisingly, the pieces fit together. You can't see them in these photos, but I even made my own square-head nails.
Total construction time: less than three hours, including the stand. Cost: zero dollars.
I'm not done with it yet. The wood needs some aging. And a bit if subtle finishing, to get the look I'm after.
What does one do with a life-sized but anatomically inaccurate rendition of a human skull, you ask?
Wearing it to work is out. Ditto for trips to Kroger or the bookstore.
So I'll probably put this up on eBay in a week or two as 'folk art.' If it doesn't sell there, my truck needs a dash ornament, and just by adding a stiff spring I can have the world's largest folk art skull bobblehead!
If nothing else, it served to let me build something, no matter how ridiculous, which I need to do from time to time.
Maybe now I can get back to writing!
