WHAT    

For my upcycling project I am choosing a Bohemian aesthetic to follow. My original material for upcycling was wooden toothpicks, which has guided me towards a much more natural feeling project, so I found the second piece of wood that I needed by a dumpster outside the Coors event center on campus, after failed attempts to find any decent scrap wood at the ITLL and the BTU’s woodshops.

HOW

For my project, I will be hand carving the wood into the shape of a porcupine and a hedgehog, then using the toothpicks, add the spikes to the respective bodies. In Anna Lugthart’s post on the bohemian aesthetic one of the most important components are “Organic elements like plants or wooden objects are popular in addition to visibly handmade objects, especially those made by the owner.” I think my project fits nicely within this criteria and therefore I will not be painting or using any “non-organic” elements to finish the pieces. I think that there is also an arts/crafts or craftsman aesthetic at play too.

WHY

I have always had the influence of carpentry in my life, my father is a very skilled woodworker and craftsman, and there is always something coming out of his woodshop. I also know how to whittle, thanks to the many summers spent at Boy Scout camps, and it is a mostly peaceful and creative hobby. I like the idea of things being natural, and done by hand, which is something that we seem to be moving away from as a society at large.

Wood Carving

Source: https://www.schaaftools.com/blogs/news/what-is-wood-carving

Bohemian Coffee Table

Source: https://www.homedit.com/bohemian-coffee-table/

Bohemian wooden art

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/155303887432289986/