Looking for a nicely painted bodhran

[Keriann]

I'm looking for a nicely painted bodhran- I've seen many in private pictures in the Internet, but have no idea where can I get one. I'd like to have something tree/green/leaves/druid patterned and all the surface painted (not only the small image somewhere in the middle). So if anyone knows where can I buy something so beautiful, please, let me know, I would be really, really grateful! )
Blessings!

[Corwen]

I guess it depends whether you want an instrument or an artwork. Most of the off the peg painted drums available are either pretty poor drums, or plastic (remo) drums which are easy to paint but don't have much spirit, and have that plastic sound, and/or not actually painted at all but transfer printed.

Personally I'd buy a good drum, and then commission an artist I liked to paint it. I like Belgarth bodhrans best, they are good sounding with nice flexible skins, especially the untuneable drums (most tuneable bodhrans sound rather dead to me, I think because of the extra thickness of the frame), and they offer drums with nicely painted hoops. I'd then get someone to paint the skin for me (Belgarth may recommend someone).

http://www.belgarth.com/stonecircle.htm

If you are after a drum as a musical instrument though, beware that you will eventually damage the paint job, if you play regularly. I think a decorated frame is a good compromise.

[otter oonagh]

Just finished one ...
http://wizartbyoonagh.blogspot.com/2010 ... dhran.html

[Corwen]

Thats really pretty Oonagh! Who made the drum and are you intending to play it?

[otter oonagh]

Thanks Corven , I have been trying to play it since a while , but I think I'm not practising enough ,or playing is maybe not my turf !!?? I use it also for shamanic drumming sessions.
I bought it from a music store years ago , and at the time I lived in caribbean , then the guy suggested not to take a "real skin" cause of the weather ! and I'm glad about it since I now live in Oklahoma where the weather is "only extreme" ,then I'm not afraid of taking it with me in the woods what ever is the weather , and that is a good point !! isn't ?...
But , I will get a goat skin one soon to paint on it and explore a bit deeper . I enjoyed very much designing it , and painting it , I also used black ink , and the next one I think I will have to use only ink . Maybe you have a tip for me !?

[otter oonagh]

Corven , I just saw your face book page , and saw Your Bodhrans !!! WOW ... that gorgeous !

[Corwen]

I agree, sometimes a plastic headed drum is the right thing, for extreme climates. We will probably get one eventually cash flow allowing because we sometimes have to play in extreme damp and its annoying trying to heat drums up before a performance! A plastic drum sounds better than no drum at all Your drum looks really good, I like the design and its very well executed too.

Corven , I just saw your face book page , and saw Your Bodhrans !!! WOW ... that gorgeous !

Well thanks, we try to make them neatly. They aren't true bodhrans though, they are based on the Native American/North Eurasian style of drum where the skin is laced on, no nails, and they are played with a single headed soft beater for a low boomy sound. Bodhrans have the skin nailed to the frame rather than laced, and are played with the double ended hard stick called a tipper, the two types of drum sound very different because of this.

I don't know about using ink, I have a feeling that on natural skin it may bleed into the pores, and run, and look blurry and strange. I'd want to try it out on a scrap piece of rawhide before trying ink on a drum. Most people I know of use acrylic paint, which handles easily, dries quickly, doesn't bleed into the skin if it is thick enough, and is quite hard wearing. I have also made paint using fat and earth pigment, like red ochre. I believe the Saami use a paint made from the bast of the alder tree, though I haven't tried making this it would be fun to experiment.

[otter oonagh]

yes , plastic drum , better than no drum at all , I agree ... ... with the 100 degrees F, in summer that we have here, to the below zero F. that we have in winter , it works at best , even more when the temperatures can change of 40 degrees in an hour !!! ....

Do you mean that you have to heat the skin before playing , dry it ? how ?? ... Fire ??
Will you make Bodhrans one day ? for the beater , I wrap a chamois's skin around the wooden beater to get that lower boomy sound .

thank you for your advices about ink and paints , but hard fo me to try on a scrap piece , since I don't make the drums and I have not the intention to start that, I leave that to talented people like you !! ) I will find the way , I hope !

About the design ,it is inspired by celtic continental design that I see on archeological pieces mainly from the 6th to 4th century BC , to me there are more "talkative" that recent celtic design, but not really recognised as celtic by people today !?! , it is only my interpretation of this style , but It makes me happy when people are sensitive to it , it is an kind of echo from a lost symbolic language ! I meditate on every design and it give me the vibes of it , this one seems to talk about a walker between the worlds ! I added some "otherworldly birds" , we know why !?

[Keriann]

Thank you so much for your advice and the links! I will try to find something as perfect as possible... If it will not ruin my budget completely. Best wishes!

[Ghiúis]

My husband got me a painted bodhran By Malachy Kearns of Roundstone Music, Galway a couple of years ago. It is a simple triskell design and yes, the paint wears off over time. It is a professional instrument but not their most expensive one.

www.bodhran.com

[Oneonine]

I think I saw some drums on the Griffin's website too.

I bought a plain Walton's drum and painted it myself. It isn't the most fabulous drum in the world, but I feel good about having done it myself every time I look at it.