Guys thanks for the responses and I must apologize as I should have posted a different photo that shows the piece fully completed. The one above shows an unfinished interior and no lacquer topcoat.
Here is the final piece ...
Steve K - First thanks for the comments/critique - much appreciated you takin' the time and all. The inspiration was from a childhood boy scout camp called 'Lost Lake' about an hour northwest of Calgary, AB. It was really a marsh land area with a mud bottom lake full of frogs, bugs, snails and leeches. Even with all that we would canoe and swim and just pull or burn leeches of each other afterward.
I used photos from the internet of marsh grasses, tadpoles, snails, etc to get the general drawing onto the bare shape. From there using a coping saw, flex-shaft power carving, woodburner, etc. The coloring is from Prismacolor markers and 90% alcohol rub. This is definitely the most carving I have done - almost too much.
I see what you mean about the waterline transitions but I wanted the perspective of looking both above and below the water line. There is not a lot of water movement (i.e. waves, etc) in marshland waters so i never thought of making anything but flat or level. Hopefully the interior coloring in the final piece helps this look better.
Arlin - thanks for the comments. The end result was not in mind when I turned the shape. The shape was turned more for practice with my deep hollowing boring bar and to see what I could turn. So as a pratice piece I turned a simple 'stovepipe' shape. Once it was complete and dry then I stated thinking about what to do with it. So next time I will put a little more thought into the final piece before starting - maybe.
