Shaman Staff Walking Stick Part 9-More Detail added-Photos

I've completed another section on the decoration of the walking stick.  The first section related to space and celestial events.  The second section deals with time.  How does one portray time?  Well a drawing of a calendar or a watch would certainly be an anachronism in the context of this stick.  I had to consider how early cultures kept track of time. 


Before there were calendars and watches, people kept track of time by the position of the sun, phases of the moon, and the change of seasons.  Daily time was kept using a sun dial, although they were much more primitive looking than the sundials that grace out gardens today.  Many people are not familiar with them, but there are also sun rings that work like a sun dial.  It is a small ring that could be worn on a finger or on a thong around the neck.  The ring has a small gnomon that cast a shadow just as it does on a full size sun dial.  The person holds the ring facing south and the shadow falls along a series of marks that indicates the hours.  It is interesting, however
the technological advances in time keeping are not necessary for this walking stick.

The phases of the moon seemed to be the most logical choice for referencing time on this walking stick.  I considered using a primitive sun dial as well, but I don't think many people would have recognized it.  I also considered using constellations, but once again, I'm not sure how many people would have recognized them.  At least not unless I drew line between the stars.  Anyway, the phases of the moon seemed the most logical choice.  It is also a nice transition from the celestial events of far off stars and galaxies to local near-earth space. 

I wood burned in a waxing crescent moon, first quarter moon, a waxing gibbous moon, a full moon, and the waning counterparts to those phases.  Once I had them on there, I wished I had made them a little smaller.  However, they are on there now, and that is the way it is. 

(Formatting problems because of more picture space than text space. )

I ran into a bit of a problem with this set.  The tip of my wood burning tool becomes loose from time to time while I'm using it.  Since it is hot, I use a pair of pliers to tighten it when it loosens.  This happens on a regular basis.  So when it came time to do the shading, I'm ready to change tips.  The darn tip won't come off.  I did not want to force it, because I was afraid I'd break it and be stuck with having to find a new tip, or worse, a whole new wood burning tool before I could continue.  I decided that for now I would use the side of the tip I had on there to char the area and come back after I have finished the rest of the stick.  Or, that when it came loose again that I would change out the tips then and come back to darken the area.  So for now, it is staying the way it is


The next section of the stick begins with the idea of taking form.  I plan to be working on the drawings for that section in the next few days.  I may get to wood burning some of them by Wednesday.  If not, I'll definitely have some of the wood burning done by next Sunday.