Some of Joel Burdick's Hobbies.
Contact me via Joel's portfolio site
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Arrowheads and Spear points
I make replica arrowheads from stones shards I have picked up on walks along Lake Ontario, working them to shape later at home. During the times when my son Alexander is napping during the day, I can go out onto the balcony and make some modest noises without disturbing his sleep. Typically, I can make one arrowhead in about 15-20 minutes of uninterupted work. It's rather easy if the stone is already somewhat 'arrow shaped' to begin with. Then it is just a matter of giving it a good edge, and creating places for the arrow's shaft to be attached. This is a fun hobby for me because when I was younger I gathered real specimens near my former home in western N.Y. in freshly plowed fields, -especially after a rainstorm. That is when arrowheads almost 'shine' in light of the sun, and are are easier to spot. One can pick up a handful of decent-looking arrowheads within a few hours on a good afternoon.
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Large Fantasy Waterbug
This large whimsical carving is a of fantasy waterbug. The largest of my bug carvings, this first one created is bigger than my hand.
This was a lot of fun to create because I did not know what it might be or how it would look like when I was finished. There was no plan to create anything specific. I just made it up as I worked on it, and it became a bug.
Anyway, I would not want to encounter one of THESE at the swimming hole!
Created by Joel A. Burdick.
Summer 2004
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Pharaoh
Sculpture of an Egyptian Ruler. I didn't pick any specific person to emulate, just a generic face and bust and the whole work took me about a week of working on it 1 or 2 hours per day, followed by a few hours of sanding with 180-grit sandpaper to remove as many grinder marks as possible. I would really like to make another one, -and that next one will be much larger! And with more details carved.
Maybe even a full-size head and shoulder bust.
Or perhaps, a mini-sphinx! Hmmm....
By Joel A. Burdick.
Spring 2003
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Scarabs,
Carved from ordinary ornamental yard stones. A nice smooth oblong stone can become a scarab with about an hour of grinding and sanding.
Typically, the best size to make is about the size of a plum, and larger. The smallest one I made is closer to the size of a walnut and with the Black & Decker rotary tools that I am using, is about as small as I can conveniently, comfortably (and probably most safely) work. In many ways, it is EASIER to carve stone than it is to carve wood. Even soft wood, such as white pine. I was surprised to discover this when I started making my first waterbug carving from a sedimentary fossil-encrusted stone I found on the banks of the south end of the Humber River (Toronto, ON.) where it empties into Lake Ontario.
By Joel A. Burdick. August-September, 2005
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Animated *gif file, Scarab
This animated *GIF file shows basically how a nice, round-ish ornamental stone is turned into a something resembling a 2000+ year old artifact. In this case, a mock Egyptian Scarab beetle. Grinding and sanding the stone reveals textures, patterns and even fossils within the stone which adds to it's beauty. One of the best Scarabs I have made to date initially started as a rather unimpressive oblong stone, -until I began working it. Just beneath it's gray chalky-colored surface was revealed many plant and lacy, swampy fossilized lifeforms. Finely polishing the stone at completion further brought out the myriad of colors and greenish-gray grainy effects.
The specimen shown here in this animated *GIF image is nothing special but it was one of my first Scarabs and therefore is special to me and is included here to show it's metamorphosis from ordinary yard stone into a faux neo-Egyptian artifact.
Created by Joel A. Burdick September, 2005
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Wooden Cat Statue.
I have made a few dozen of these when I was in High School in Belmont, New York. But this one I made for my wife Maggie two years ago, part of Valentine's Day gift-giving.
I first made a cardboard template outline of the basic design, which is traced upon a 2X4 beam and cut out. I can mass-produce these easily because of this. Or at least, produce several at the same time. It might be fun to try making a series of these in different types of wood, instead of just white pine.
Hardwoods like oak or even hard maple would look very nice!
And then there are numerous quality stains and varnishes that could be experimented with, not just linseed oil (used here)... Can you tell that I am a cat-fancier? I just absolutely adore cats!
Carved by Joel A. Burdick
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Stargate SG:1 "Jaffa Warrior"
I also work with HDPE plastics, salvaged from discarded chemical drums. This wearable armor (with removable headpiece) from the tv series "Stargate SG:1" took me over two years of working on it part-time. Next, I made smaller one for a friend in Montreal which, through experience, took much less time to complete. -That one I completed in just over three months, start-to-finish!
I met actor Christopher Judge ("Teal'c") of "Stargate SG:1" in July 2004 at a convention in Toronto, -and he was amazed at the work and craftsmanship that went into this piece.
Built by Joel A. Burdick
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Mango, Gingko, Avocado, Mango
No real skill involved here, but it is a hobby nonetheless. These are my bonsai seedlings. From the left, a young Mango tree, with new leaves still a nice burgundy color. As they mature in a few days, they gradually turn bright green and the next growth spurt occurs, with more bright burgundy colored leaves. Next, is a young Gingko tree. Third from the left is an Avocado tree, grown from the 'nut' inside a ripe avocado fruit. And fourth from the left is a younger Mango tree, ready for it's next 'growth spurt'. Mangoes grow very fast, -often growing about a half-inch or more per day for several days. Then growth stops for a few days, but then it takes off growing again! Mango trees seem to be quite hardy and resilient. I have suffered mine with 'benign neglect' on the balcony in the hot sun for days, where they wilted. But give them a bit of water, shade and pamper them for a day or two and they bounce right back again, healthy and full of vigor!
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Trouble's Cage
I made this simple cage for "Trouble", my pet ferret, using new pine lumber, a handful of 1 and 2-inch long drywall screws and several discarded under-gratings from grocery store produce cases. The top has two doors which lift open and the two face screens of the cage are held by draw-hasps, and therefore can be removed for cleaning. This entire cage cost me about $30.oo in materials, and was built in a single weekend. There is a 3-inch diameter hole cut in the floor of the far right-hand corner of the cage, with an easily removable plastic sweater-box affixed to the underside of the floor. Stuffed with clean shredded tissue-paper and paper towels, this makes a nice 'sub-floor level' nest for her (box just visible, right side). Her litter-box (left side of cage) is recessed as well, for her accessibility.
(Update: Trouble passed away on Jan. 9th, 2006.).
Another Web-Page created by Joel A. Burdick Images © 2005 [joelburdick@hotmail.com]
Scarabs,
Wooden Cat Statue.
Stargate SG:1 "Jaffa Warrior"