My first ever relief carving

[Inadv]

Here's my take on the Fairy Door which was featured in a recent issue of the WCI mag. I sorta used the features I liked most from the two versions presented in the article and then changed up on some of them as well, but it is obviously still a copied work.

I can't seem to shake the tendency to make a construct out of almost everything I do. The door handle and hinges are glue-ons as is the grass, which is btw a relative of the sweet grass which grows on the mid-western plains. It drove me crazy when I first moved up here in the Blue Ridge from coastal Georgia. The smell of sweet grass would lay heavy in the air every time someone mowed a hayfield. For the first few years everyone thought I was a bit goofy as I'd cut a handful of grass every time I saw a clump that looked a bit different, and smell the freshly cut ends. When I finally found the right one I went wild cutting and drying huge clumps of it. I still do that every spring and hang a large bundle of it by the front door. I also dry a fair bit of it to use as incense every year as well as ceremonial usage.

Hope you like the door, and as always your comments and suggestions are very welcome as I intend to do more relief carving in the near future. This was one was just too much fun not to do more!!

L.P.

[Thor]

What a great fairy door! The grass adds a touch of perspective and texture to it, and the colors are very original. You did great.
I know the fairies will move right in.
Thanks for showing it to us.
Christina

[BeaverDon]

Great job. I think it's very cool adding the grass to give this piece special meaning.

[A2Z Man]

I have never done one but that makes me want to try. It is great. I live in FLa. and I know what you mean about the cut grass.

[Inadv]

Christina: Thank you! I've admired your work since becoming active on this forum, and coming from you the compliments are very special!
Don: Your kudos are a treat too! I try to put a little of the sweet grass on everything that presents an opportunity to do so. I'm certain that the Nunnehi (Cherokee spirit peoples...fairies) like it too!
Alan: That is interesting. I had never encountered the smell of sweet grass from anything growing naturally in the Savannah / Statesboro area of GA and always had to purchase it. I lived there for over 45 years too! You should definitely give relief carving a try. It's a real hoot trying to get three dimensions out of just two.

L.P.

[carlt]

I think it looks great, the painting is very pleasing to the eye. I haven't attempted a relief carving yet, but yours look good to me.

Carl

[Ron T]

Hi L.P.,

Sorry I missed this one. Must have been before my time. LOL!

You did a very nice job putting together the door. I like the add ons, grass and hinges. Nice painting, too. But what does it open onto?

[Mark Dellinger]

Inadv,

I saw this when you posted it originally and liked it then. I thought I responded then but apparently didn't or it was when my computer kept crashing on me. Either way, it was good to see it again.

Safe carving and God Bless,

Mark


Safe Carving and

[Inadv]

Wow... I'm in a Vu ja de (George Carlin's alternate dejavu (sp)) here...

Carl: Thank you for the good words. Hope you will give relief carving a shot. It's not my favorite style, but it is lots of fun.
Ron: LOL.. The door on this one opens to your own imagination, but the for the next one I have a little surprise in mind. My daughter is a huge Brian Froud fan and I gave her a birthday card last year that had a really cool montage of fairies on the envelope. I'm going to make the door to actually open and have that envelope decoupaged to the inside so that you see dozens of fairies right there looking back at you.
Mark: Thank you for the thumb's up. Glad you got your PC percolating again.

L.P.

[Dusty]

Nice work....keep it up!