A Dragonfly Alights on a Gourd

Wednesday I taught a gourd class which included a sample project using a variety of techniques.  The sample was the moth gourd that I did earlier in the summer, but I didn't want to make another one, so I demonstrated the same techniques on a new gourd instead - this one.

The techniques included, among others, a wash of paint followed by applying interference paints, attaching a branch handle, and applying metal leaf - all demonstrated on this gourd.  The circle at the upper right is a metal leaf sun.  At the left you can see the beginning of a dragonfly - its body, in fact - fashioned of turquoise cabochons.  On the class project the body of the moth was a cabochon. 

After class I got inspired by my new but not thought-out project and painted the grasses with Jacquard's beautiful Luminiere metallic paints.  Then I beaded around the cabochonc with glass seed beads.

Today, after much contemplation, I figured out how to make the wings.  I cut them from another gourd, sealed them, painted them with interference paints, then applied glass bead acrylic medium to the rough side, which will be the right side.  I'm going to glue them on with two part epoxy.  But first I plan to paint a small frog on the back.  I'm thinking of including a polymer dragonfly on the branch handle, but I'm undecided about whether or not that would be too much.  I guess I'll make one and see.