My latest projects

Since I can't bend violin ribs right now I've looked for other easier projects. I bought a few watercolor paints to replace some that were used up and made up this sketch of a piece of a larger painting I might do. It's basically my back yard... the grass, shadow, trees in the back and the cottonwood, combined with my front yard... the sumac and the aspen clump. Nothing is that colorful yet, but it will be. I tried a few techniques I hadn't done before, some worked out better than others. I don't mind trying out something new on a small sheet like that instead of a $8.00 full sheet. I'm so cheap!
To do a little violin stuff I knocked the ribs of my birch violin off the form, and glued the corners and end blocks on to the plates to finalize their outlines. I haven't quite finished up the corners. Then I'll have to order some purfling, I'm all out. International Violin sent me 3 extra free sets when I placed my first order with them. Guess who I'm placing my next order with. I use pins top and bottom like the old masters did. Getting a small drill press for this might be a good idea, both of the holes are on big angles. If I don't watch it, my hole will come out through the ribs! This kind of work I can do without getting sore, or hurting my back. I cut my purfling groove out by hand with a marker, a knife and a groove clearing tool. I have to watch what I do because it is so easy to go deep on the sides, where the knife slips in the grain right through the plate, and just as easy to go too shallow on the top and bottom. Several (slow learner?) of my instruments have had the purfling ripped out on the ends while putting the recurve in there. Maybe after that I can cut the f holes, put in a bass bar and start tuning it some.
The weather has been so gloomy and wet, with the exception of the other day when it was near 90 and sunny. It would be easy to let the weather, and the fact that you can't do much, put you in a bad mood. I try not to let anything get me down. While in the hospital after the accident I was joking with my wife. God puts you through trials that don't make much sense to you at the time, but maybe later in your life you may see that you learned a valuable lesson.