Started on the masthead today

I am trying to copy this painting from Waterhouse entitled "Lady of Shalott".  The painting is from a Tennyson poem of the same name and seems to fit my goals.

Waterhouse - in the Tate Gallery in London

Tennyson- 

And down the river’s dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance –
With glassy countenance
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,

My plan is to make two pieces like this.  One to be epoxied on to both sides of a bow stem that will mount to the boat.  The bow stem will be varnished and the outer pieces painted. 

I have a scroll saw I inherited that I used as a kid making swords.  I  don't know if Dad knew about that!   

Luckily we never poked anyone's eyes out sword fighting!

I had to get some new blades which that made the process go much faster. 

Next, I cut out the "feathers" for the dragon's head.  Yes, it is a stylized dragon's head in the style of a Viking ship - only my ship is 17 feet long, not 60.

This is oak, so the sanding is not going very fast.  I hope to have everything epoxied together this weekend.











Waterhouse's painting doesn't have a stern piece.  Of course, the Viking style would be the tail of the dragon.  I'll do a similar assembly for the stern, but more elongated with long flowery feathers.