yaklady Report post Posted February 28, 2008 (edited) When the Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal came up with their portrait carving contest for the Wickenburg show, I decided I had to try. I could use the prize money as well as anyone. Maybe I could buy another yak! Ten years ago, I tooled this pattern. It was a flat carving, no color added. It was a fun pattern to do, but I needed more of a challenge. What I conjured up was definitely a challenge, perhaps more than I really wanted. Once it was started, there was no going back. I can't waste a huge piece of leather like that. It's a good thing I'm out of a job right now, or there's no way I would have gotten it done. Five hours is what it took to harness this mule. I can harness a real one in five minutes. I must be nuts! The mule is embossed, the face is cut out from the eyes down and filled with putty. The harness is embossed applique, right down to the spots on the browband. It is painted with acrylics. Here it is. First the mule, then the harness, then the two together. Enjoy! Kathy Edited February 28, 2008 by yaklady Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TracyMoss Report post Posted February 28, 2008 I love it. Growing up, we raised Mules and Belgian Horses along with cattle and horses and shetland ponies. We crossed Mammoth Jacks and Belgian Mares for some really stout mules to snake logs out for lumber. I miss those days. Really nice work. Maybe I can come down to the Meeting next month and you can bring that Mule! I would really like to see it first-hand. Thanks for sharing TM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yaklady Report post Posted February 28, 2008 I love it. Growing up, we raised Mules and Belgian Horses along with cattle and horses and shetland ponies. We crossed Mammoth Jacks and Belgian Mares for some really stout mules to snake logs out for lumber. I miss those days. Really nice work. Maybe I can come down to the Meeting next month and you can bring that Mule! I would really like to see it first-hand.Thanks for sharing TM I won't be at the next meeting, Tracy, and neither will the mule. I'll be somewhere on the road between Wickenburg and home. Come to the April meeting, the 13th, and you can see it then. I promise I'll bring the mule! Kathy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted February 28, 2008 This one truly amazes me. Nice work and soo realistic. Just look at the veins on the ear. Good luck in the competition. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TracyMoss Report post Posted February 28, 2008 April it is. Hopefully I will remember it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yaklady Report post Posted February 28, 2008 April it is. Hopefully I will remember it. Hopefully I'll remember to remind you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tina Report post Posted February 28, 2008 Fabulous, Awesome, I love it... I really like all the details you made:-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leatheroo Report post Posted February 28, 2008 wow, words cant describe how good that is....!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCOUTER Report post Posted February 28, 2008 Kathy, WOW! That came out GREAT! You really nailed the harder details like the nostrils! My girlfriend tried to make me wear a pair of blinders just like those! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Don101 Report post Posted February 28, 2008 WOW thats so realistik its amazing, when are you doing the tutorial i hope you took lots of pics, Don Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dale Report post Posted February 28, 2008 You did this in 5 hours? I think it's time to hang up my mallet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krains Report post Posted February 28, 2008 (edited) i hope to be able to do work this good in 20 years! where did you pick up the skills to do that? Edited February 28, 2008 by krains Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElNino Report post Posted February 28, 2008 WOW!! is an understatement Kathy that is a beautiful piece and only five hours? You've got my vote the detail is exquisite! Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TracyMoss Report post Posted February 28, 2008 I'm sorry I'm a little distrcated by the thought of Scouter wearing blinders. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yaklady Report post Posted February 28, 2008 Okay, you guys obviously misunderstood me. When I said it took 5 hours to harness the mule, that meant just putting the finished harness pieces on the finished mule. I have at least five hours into hairing the mule, and probably twice that to make the harness pieces. I'm no miracle worker! Don't hang up your mallet, Dale, you can do this too. It really wasn't all that hard, just time consuming. The mule was done with Robb Barr's methods for extreme embossing. The whole mule was stretched and stuffed with leather putty from behind. Then I cut the sides of his face and the muzzle away so that the face would stick out further, and stuffed more putty in. I also cut his nostrils and stuffed them. The hard part there was figuring out how much each part needed to be raised. It's a good thing you can change the putty. It took some time to figure out what part of the harness needed to be tooled and what part needed to be 3-D. The 3-D harness was made with Peter Main's method of embossed applique. I used up a lot of scalpel blades doing that, and broke my last one before I was done. I was scrounging to find something sharp enough to make the cuts I needed. In some cases, like with the little spots on the browband, I used sheepskin skiver for the embossing leather. For most of the harness I used tooling calf on top of 3 ounce vegie tanned leather. A stitching spacer works great for making the stitches on the harness. You don't even have to sew it up. Putting the harness on the mule was the real kicker. I thought he couldn't kick since he has no feet, but I was wrong! The pieces are interwoven and you have to glue down certain pieces first. Sometimes I would get the wrong piece first, and had to think fast before the glue set so I could change something when I had to. Peter uses string to fasten the appliques down, but I couldn't do that since part of the picture is a few inches thick and it was already glued down to masonite. That new contact cement of Tandy's has worked just fine. The whole pictue is 100% leather, if you don't include all the glue. The rings are done with round leather lace. The hames have two layers of thick leather, carved to give it the round look. Some pieces are stuck underneath the carving, like the pieces that go under the browband. The browband has a cut under the front edge to accommodate them. The time was eons more than five hours total. I can't say how much, but it took weeks to accomplish this. Much of that time was spent sitting and staring, trying to figure out how to do it, and playing with tools to see how to get a certain look. I need a challenge, and this was definitely that. The other challenge I've done recently is tooling a water fall, and teaching others how to do it. It's the challenges in life that build character. Don't be afraid to try something like this. It's not like riding a bull! Thank you for the nice comments, Kathy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skipj Report post Posted March 7, 2008 Saw the carving today at the show. It's more of a sculpture than a carving, WOW. It is fantastic in my humble opinion. SkipJ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cjbleather Report post Posted March 7, 2008 kathy, The mule looks great. I am sure that Peter would highly approve your work on this. Did you win? We hope so. Carlb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted March 8, 2008 Absolutely beautiful work Kathy. My favorite part is the eyes, and how you've colored them to portray reflection of light on a rounded surface--- or are they extreme embossed to roundness, then coated with a clear laquer? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted March 8, 2008 That's an amazing piece, Kathy! The harness overlays really make the whole thing pop (dimension... texture... they look real). But I also notice some very nice detail touches, such as the veins in the ears, eyes, hair texture, and the tender tissue around the nostrils. I also think for a mule, he just looks like a sweetie. Thanks for sharing that. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tangent Creations Report post Posted March 8, 2008 Ya know, I was considering taking part in that competition, but after seeing this, I realize I wouldn't have a snowball's chance in.....well....you get the idea! Awesome work, I would never have thought to do it that way. It look Beautiful! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skipj Report post Posted March 8, 2008 Kathy, congratulations on winning first place. There was no question of whose carving was best; although all the other work was excellent. Nice prize too. SkipJ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leatherpoker Report post Posted March 12, 2008 I Love it! Hahaha! Can you give me an idea of the scale? It is amazing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yaklady Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Obviously, I'm slacking! I didn't even notice all these kind comments you people have been leaving for me. Leatherpoker, The picture is 16" x 20", and the mule fills it up pretty good. I think a mini-mule's head would be about the same size as this mule's head, but of course the picture depicts a larger mule. Skip, I'm glad you got to see it first hand. Leather stuff always looks much better in person. Wish I had run into you. Yes, I really like the prize! Kate, it's those little details that I enjoy the most. How real can I make it look? That's what I strive for, and once in a while, I accomplish it. You do very nice work, too. I'm lucky you weren't in that competition! Mike, the eyes were done with the extreme embossing and the gloss lacquer. Sounds like you know all about that. Do you have any embossed projects to share? Thank you all for the compliments and encouraging comments. It makes me want to do some more! Kathy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
