Weekend Projects - Decorative seashell bowl archive

Nick Arnull creates this decorative seashell-inspired bowl using pyrography, texturing and airbrushing techniques to give a unique shell-like effect

My inspiration for decorative items is often drawn from several areas of nature. This piece uses the textures from the outside of seashells and the intensity of the colours often found inside them. I was extremely taken with abalone shells and used this as the starting point for my choice of colours here. I have also used the scalloped edge to portray the appearance that is seen on shells like cockles, clams and many more.

I have used several techniques to create this bowl: pyrography, texturing, airbrushing and gilding that all come together to create a small decorative bowl inspired by shells from the sea. I have also used artist's liquid mask to protect the rim detail whilst gilding; this is more often used when painting watercolours, or used by model makers. I have also washed diluted ink over the gilding to calm its appearance. This bowl would make a fantastic weekend project.

Tools used:

12mm flat skew chisel

12mm round skew chisel

10mm square-grind bowl gouge

10mm long-grind bowl gouge

STEP 1

Centre your blank and mount it onto the lathe; this can be done using either a screw chuck or a small faceplate. Make the blank round and roughly shape the outside using a 10mm long-grind bowl gouge

STEP 2

Refine the outside using a round skew chisel to shear cut the surface

STEP 3

Using dividers, mark the diameter of the chuck being used

STEP 4

Relieve the chucking method using a 12mm flat skew chisel ensuring the dovetail created matches your chuck jaws

STEP 5

Dish the centre of the foot using a 10mm square-grind bowl gouge

STEP 6

Sand the entire outside of the bowl taking great care not to lose definition at the chucking detail

STEP 7

With sanding complete remove the bowl from the lathe, mount into the chuck and true the rim using a 10mm square-grind bowl gouge

STEP 8

Using the same 10mm bowl gouge, remove the centre of the bowl. Taper the wall thickness to leave more timber towards the base; this will add stability to the bowl when finished. The top is deliberately left thicker at this stage to add stability for the coming stages

STEP 9

Sand the bowl, raise the grain, allow to dry then cut back leaving a perfect finish. Spray with acrylic sanding sealer, allow to dry then cut back using artificial wire wool or '0000' wire wool

STEP 10

Using the indexing facility of your lathe, divide the rim equally into eight. Mark this with a soft dark pencil, divide this by half, rotate the bowl in the chuck jaws and repeat marking using a red pencil. Measure 12mm from the top rim of the bowl; this will become the bottom of the scalloped detail. Finally, mark the edge of the rim to create the scalloped/wavy top to the bowl

STEP 11

Using a fine toothed saw, cut vertical lines until almost to the bottom of the line previously marked

STEP 12

Using a long-necked mini grinder fitted with a sanding disc, remove the waste timber working roughly to the line

STEP 13

Using a flex-shaft rotary tool fitted with a small drum sander, refine the edge of the rim. Ensure health and safety is observed throughout steps 12-15

STEP 14

Use progressively finer abrasive then finish by hand, sanding the top edge of the rim

STEP 15

Using a coarse sanding disc fitted to the long-neck mini grinder, thin the top edge of the bowl. Ensure to feather the surface into the shape, then hand sand the surface to blend the areas together. Work through all the grades of abrasive to achieve a good finish

STEP 16

Next, you need to mark out the boundary detail on the rim and then, using a high powered pyrography machine, burn the line around the top of the bowl. Repeat this detail inside the bowl

STEP 17

Divide the bowl's outside shape from top to bottom; this will add a guide when applying texture to the bowl, as this needs to run vertically to the foot of the bowl. Use a flex-shaft rotary tool fitted with a 1.6mm rotary burr to create the texture

STEP 18

When the texture is complete use a radial sanding brush to remove any fuzz that may have occurred when texturing, but do not be heavy handed or the detail will be lost or flat areas may even be created

STEP 19

Next, using an airbrush, apply a base coat of marine blue to the outside of the bowl and allow to dry, then spray with a light coat of acrylic satin lacquer to seal the surface. Once dry, repeat this process on the inside of the bowl

STEP 20

Apply a coat of acrylic artist's gold to the high points on the outside of the bowl; this is done using a dry brushing technique

STEP 21

Once the gold is dry apply a coat of iridescent green to the surface. If this is a little uneven it will add to the colouring. When dry apply a coat of satin acrylic lacquer to seal the surface

STEP 22

Apply artist's liquid mask to the rim detail and allow to dry. Add low tack masking tape to the outside of the bowl to protect it from the spray adhesive that will be used to apply the gold leaf. With the masking in place spray the surfaces lightly with spray mount and allow to dry for around 20-30 seconds

STEP 23

Apply the gold leaf mix you are using and pat it down to achieve a good contact with the spray adhesive, then allow to dry overnight

STEP 24

Lightly brush the surface to remove any surplus gold leaf and then carefully remove the liquid mask from the outside of the bowl; this is done with a finger, or in my case I used my thumb

STEP 25

Next, apply a diluted wash of marine blue ink over the gilded area; this will calm the final appearance of the bowl and tie it more closely to the outside of the bowl. Allow to dry then apply several light coats of gloss acrylic lacquer

STEP 26

The finished decorative seashell bowl should look like this