I ONLY HAD a couple of hours to devote to Ukuleles today but those hours conjured up some old memories. I finished the concave side of the maple backs and got to the point of attaching the labels to the backs prior to boxing these Pinecones up.
Included in my insistance on homemade ukes are the home made labels, A little garish when seen in the full light of day, but I think just right when seen through the sound hole in the dark recesses of a Uke. I make them of 140 lb water color paper left over from my many years of painting in water color. This very tough linen paper is painted with a bright paint called "Perinon Orange"and then I scrawl my signature, the date and the instrument number on it before attaching it to the back of the uke. Wouldn't you know, I had only five labels left meaning that I had to return to my painting days to make the sixth.
If you tilt the paper and flow on broad strokes horizontally it will all flow together making a homogenous panel of color. I will slice this big sheet up after it has dried and have many more uke labels. While I was at it I did three sheets like this. Incidently, that is a favorite old French brush of mine. I have used it for years and years.
I applied glue to the first two labels and carefully positioned them on the backs after peering through the sound hole to position them. Now to weight them down as they dry- nothing better than these two relics from another of life's great interests. These are canvas bags full of lead "chilled shot" that I used to use in my black power, muzzleloading shotguns. They make perfect weights for glued down parts of ukuleles. Ah life keeps changing.
The shop rooster seems a little offended by all the bright color drying below him. I think he has turned his head to look at my finished paintings behind him.