Here's my Winchester Model 12 Skeet Grade (20 ga.) in the white after adding a Factory #5 pattern.
Although my photography doesn't show it off too well, the dog on the left is 24K gold and the other dog is 22K gold.
Brian, Oct. 10th is the start of woodcock season!
Nice job, the scroll is tasteful & no overdone imho.
That gun belongs in the field.
I can see it now, woodcock wrapped in bacon, nice green salad, bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and that beautiful 20 propped up in the corner for all to see.
thanks for showing,
Kent
Peter E.....I'm getting better at the photography. Glad you could see the difference in the dogs.
Dave........You're absolutely right about "No engraving season"----maybe it's time to smell the roses.
Brian,
I'm most interested in your model 12. You've done a great job on it. Once when I was visiting Sam Welch, I took a series of panarama photos of Castle Valley with the mountains and cloud structures. As a long term project, I have a series of model 12's from 410 through 12 ga that I would like to engrave with this scenery with gargoyles in the clouds. This scenery would be continuous from one shotgun to the next. This, of course, is in the planning stage. Some comments and ideas would be very welcome. Perhaps a cold shower and some rest might clear my thinking.
Weldon, Thanks for the kudos...On this one I'm actually trying to emmulate the Winchester Factory patterns, i.e. Kornbrath, Kuzmit, etc.,etc. It's hard to keep from overdoing it.
Glenn: You have a fabulous idea and you should pursue it.
(The only problem I see is with those darned 28 gauges---especially the Skeet Grade ones with solid barrel ribs and B carved walnut--usually the customer just leaves them here and forgets about 'em----I get stuck with them all the time----LOL)
As a comment, You could commission a different engraver for each scene (each gun) and get a professional oil painter to paint a mural or a montage of the photos to use as a backdrop to display the guns.
I'm sure the good people of Castle Valley couldn't be prouder to be featured on a World Class project like this....and it would be World Class.
As far as cold showers are concerned----------I ain't going there.
Did I mention that my collection is missing the 28 ga. Perhaps you could donate one of those old boat paddle 28 ga. that has been left laying around your keva:
I like your suggestion about the painting and the engravers.
Brian,
Excellent work! I know exactly what you mean when you say "its hard to keep from over doing it". This is bringing back some not to long ago memories. I was commisioned to do two 42-5's for a gentleman in N.J. He was very particular about what he wanted. He wanted the "original look with a little more detail". Naturally I wanted to do several drawings and have them approved before I did anything to "cover my butt". It was however, very stressfull. Although ours look very similar, I could post some pictures if you would like. Nice to hear from you "Grandmaster neighbor"!
Beautiful job. My old signwriting master used to tell me during my apprentice days "not to over guild the lilly". Took me a while to get used to that way of thinking that less is more.
One question...........why 24k and 22k gold? was there a specific reason for that or is that just what you had lying around at the time?
Andrew,
The reason for the two colors of gold is make for "some" contrast in the dogs.
Since no two things are exactly alike and based on the position of the dogs in the scene, they really can't (or shouldn't) be the exact same color----even if they are identical twins.
That's where I ran the risk of "overdoing it". Trying to keep with a basic factory pattern, (which is pretty basic if you study them) and knowing the right way it should be done based on things like light source position, yada,yada,yada.
I really didn't have to go through with all the trouble of two colors of gold.....I guess I was just being ornery & couldn't help myself.
Brian
P.S. I know my adopted dad, Ron Smith, would be proud.
Andrew, yes there is a slight color variation, but instead of darker, I think 24k is yellower than 22k,18k,14k, etc.,etc.
Since 24k is pure gold ---a natural element--,the lower karat gold has higher quantities of other metals, such as copper, and therefore you get away from yellow and go toward pink----or green---or white---or whatever is added to make the alloy different colors.
Since I'm not an expert on gold alloys, this information is just a generality to give you an honest answer.
I'm sure someone in "the audience" (hint: you goldsmith's feel free to chime in anytime) can give you a much better explanation than I can.
But hey.........it's kinda cool to know why some of us do the things we do.