Cuckoo Clocks and S-Town-A Peek-a-Boo Project

This is Jon David Lowe for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts, my father brought back a Cuckoo Clock from when he was
stationed in Germany during WWII near the Black Forest Region. That Cuckoo
Clock was a permanent fixture in my childhood home. I was mesmerized by its
intricate carvings and fascinating features. the first podcast I ever listened
to was S-Town, whose main character a horologist, a time keeper repairman,
these are the inspirations for this artwork.   

1.  Gather
Supplies.

2.  Cut a Piece
of Bookboard, Mine is 5 by 10 Inches.

3.  Choose
Pieces of Scrap Paper to Add an Interesting Background, Cut and Use a UHU Glue
Stick to Attach.

4. 
Use Embossing Ink, Brown
Embossing Powders and a Wooden Grain Embossing Folder To Add “Wood
Grain” to GSLC Cuckoo Clock Top Portion.

5. 
Use a Fan Brush and
Various Shades of Brown Acrylic Paints to Continue the Wood Grain.

6. 
Use and Artist
Cloth Brown Paints to Add Patina and Distress You Prepared Background.

7. 
 Cover Background With DecoArt One Step Crackle
Finish, Allowing to Air Dry Fully.

8.  Use Design Cream Gold Paint to Paint  Top Part of Cuckoo Clock Balances.

9. 
Use Art Alchemy
Metallique Hazelnut Acrylic Paint to Paint Bottom Portion of Cuckoo Clock
Balances.

10.               
Use Golden Heavy
Gel Matte to Secure GSLC Cuckoo Clock Parts to Background.

11.               
Use Art Alchemy
Metallique Hazelnut Acrylic Paint to Paint Inside of “Windows” of
GSLC Cuckoo Clock.

12.               
Use Glossy Accents
to Secure Watch Parts and Clock Face Embellishment.

13.               
Use a Colored
Pencil to Fill in the Cracks from the Crackle Finish and to Distress Edges of
Background.

14.               
Use Liquid Pearls
to Add Details to Background.

15.               
Use Matte Gel
Varnish to Seal the Entire Piece of Art.

       Some Final Thoughts:

I wish I would have found and
taken the Black Forest Cuckoo Clock my father brought back from Germany, that
was a great memory from my childhood when we sold the Ole homestead a few years
ago, but it was nowhere to be found in the many boxes shoved into the ancient
attic. I may one day splurge and buy a one as a replacement for our condo, but
of our limited space it would need to be much smaller.  I am fortunate that I have a musical beer
stein my dad gave to me years ago, a nice remembrance of our German heritage.

S-Town tells the story of John
B. McLemore, who despises his small Alabama town, where he alleges there is a
murder that is being covered up by a wealth family and police corruption. It is
described as an investigative journalism, serialized audio narrative meaning it
tells the story through recordings of many of the key characters and added
narration to tell the back story.

One such conversation:

One day, John was on the phone with me, and he looked out his
window and started listing off the flowers that were in bloom in his yard, and
the ones that were dying. He sighed and said,

JOHN B. McLEMORE:

It’s tedious and brief. That’s a sundial
motto—tedious and brief.

BRIAN REED:
Before we had clocks, we had sundials, and I
never thought about this until I started talking to John, but watching a
sundial, which could be as simple as a stick in the ground, as the shadow crept
along, you were actually witnessing the rotation of the Earth. It’s so much
less abstracted than a clock, a level closer to time itself. Anyway, John told
me sundials often have mottoes engraved on them. John says “tedious and
brief” is one.

BRIAN REED:
What do you mean, “tedious and brief?”

JOHN B. McLEMORE:
Your life is tedious and brief. All sundial
mottoes are sad like that.

BRIAN REED:
There are hundreds of these mottoes. “Life
passes like this shadow.” “Make haste, but slowly.” “Use the
hours, don’t count them.” “Even as you watch, I’m fleeing.”
“Soon comes night.”

These little reminders are out there, hidden in
crannies around the world. I recently happened upon a sundial in the cemetery
of an old Catholic mission next to a grave. Because of John, I knew to look for
the motto. It read, “Nil boni hodie. Diem perdidi.” “I did
nothing good today. I have lost a day.”

As I see my
summer break slipping away I remind myself to use my hours and not count them. The
time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here.

Supplies:  GSLC Cuckoo Clock, Bookboard, Ruler, Cutter, Scrap Paper, UHU Gluestick, Embossing Ink, Embossing Powders Brown, Wooden Grain Embossing Folder, Fan Brush, Various Shades of Brown Acrylic Paints, Artist Cloth, DecoArt One Step Crackle Finish, Glossy Accents, Watch Parts, Clock Face Embellishment, Design Cream Gold Paint, Art Alchemy Metallique Hazelnut Acrylic Paint, Golden Heavy Gel Matte Medium, Colored Pencils, Matte Varnish, Liquid Pearls

I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it
on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you
are working on!