“Domus Dolorem”

First project upload on this site.  A big hello to everyone.  I will upload more of my previous pieces when I get a chance.  This one is my newest though.

Three years ago my father gave me a wasp nest and a glass dome.  He asked me if I could make a base for it.  My imagination went to work and then after three years of on/off work I finished the piece. “Domus Dolorem” is Latin for "House of Pain".

 The wasps were hand carved out of black walnut. They have hand cut and formed brass antennae, wings and stingers. The eyes where woodburned.  The honeycomb sections started life as veneered maple cut into strips and then into 504 equal pieces. Those 504 pieces were glued into 84 hexagons and then glued into 4 panels which were then curved to match the outer shape.  The main body is made from black walnut with Tamo Ash veneer in the honeycomb area. I turned 24 larvae out of birdseye maple to give a little more realism. The nest is supported by a cradle made from black walnut, black veneer and brass supports.  The cradle is sitting on a platform made from figured maple, walnut burl veneer, black veneer and gaboon ebony.   The dome spins on a precision lazy susan. 

 “Domus Dolorem” is roughly 22″ x 22″ x 26″ with the glass dome on.  I finished it with four applications of Danish Oil followed by waxing.  All the brass was sprayed with lacquer.