[Mottles]

Hi All:
First I like to say to those of you who might be in harms way of hurricane Katrina my thoughts are with you all.

Thought it was time to share my progress on the lantern I've been talking about it enough. I'm using my own photo taken severval years ago. This lantern has hung outside in the elements at all three homes we've lived in. Poor thing guess it's tradition.
If someone's would like to give me a critique I'd be most grateful and comments always welcome.
Kathy

[Irish]

Oh - that takes my breath away. And, yes, I have a critique ... I'm very disappointed that it will never hang in my house

Wonderful tones, wonderful structure, and wonderful composition!

Susan

[Chahlie]

Hi All,

Hey Kathy, most excellent work. Outstanding detail and perspective. Looks quite real and I would gladly hang such work from my walls.

Chahlie

[wade clark]

Kathy,
Nice work! Very sentimental look, reminiscent of a time gone by. The ivy says it's been hanging here for a long time, gives it another dimension...length, depth, width, perspective, time.
Very nice!
Wade

[Lightningbolt]

This is a really nice piece and even more special coming from a personal family photo! I especially appreciate the photos you posted showing the sequence of progress to the final piece.

I spent some time looking around your website and it is very interesting how you use the grayscaling of a project, from a painting to a woodburning, to better understand how the different light values effect an object of art. This will be the object for some future experimentation for me. Thanks!

Using the grayscale seems to be especially useful in determining whether a certain photo would make a fair, a good, or excellent woodburning.

[Mottles]

Susan: Wow thank you so much I'm so pleased you like my efforts. I really have to give you a lot of the credit for giving me good tips on woodburning. I referred to your article in WCI so much that my copy is falling a part. Our discussion on color, grayscale and how they can help with our woodburning was helpful also. So with that I have to figure out how to frame it. Oh also I finished (I think) my sepia value scale added three more values. But could figure out how to attach them together so they were all in one line. Need to figure out how to do that in my Adobe Elements.

Chahlie: Thank you, for your wonderful compliment it was a labor of love. I visited your Web Shot Album and just wanted to say your rose relief carving is lovely and your Santa's charming. Good work!

Wade: Thank you too, I really think the sepia gives everything that warm feeling--much more so that grayscale. I love old things and things that tell a story. Things that have stood the test of time and I'm so pleased you could feel what I wanted to protray.

Lightingbolt: Thank you also, and thank you for visiting my website another labor of love. LOL Regarding the lantern I think when you have a personal knowledge of your subject it does help you say what you are trying to say. Oops I'm rambling again...I really like your wood spirit sticks the faces are so candid and good painting there.
As Susan (Irish) other's and myself have been discussing the value of grayscale and sepia helping us with our woodburning and painting. By taking an image from color to grayscale it shows right way where the darkest darks and lightest lights and mid-values in the image. Yes, by taking your image from color to grayscale it will help you determine an images weakest points. I usually look for a photograph I've taken that has a good light and dark value range. Lot's of times if it isn't there I add it. LOL

Thank you again you guys you've made my day! Now I have to go rummage though my photo's for another subject. Hubby bought me a nice big sheet of birch to burn. Susan I like your sizes you used in your WCI article any other sizes besides 12 x 12 and 12 x 18? I know when choosing a canvas I usally taylor the size by the subject.....does this hold the same for wood burning too?
Kathy

[Irish]

Birch plywood comes in 12 x 12 sizes and 12 x 18 sizes, pre-cut from many mail order wood sourses. These sizes are easy for me to use as I don't have to fuss around on the table saw ... not a favorite job of mine when cutting very thin woods. I have also gotten batchs off of ebay with excellent results.

It comes in 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" ... haven't used the half inch as I haven't done anything that would require that thickness. The 1/8" will cup or warp from a wood burning because it is so thin but if you are framing it the frame will bring it back into flat. All three of the small sizes are available in 3 ply or with a composite core. And there is a wide range of grain ... some pieces are as plain vanilla as basswood and others have very wild flowing grain.

If I am going to frame the work I can trim off the excess on my band saw by using a side guide during the ripping. For me these are very comfortable sizes to hold and to work.

Your last three squares do a nice job of finishing off your value scale!

Susan

[Mottles]

Thanks Susan and I appreciate you taking the time to comment on panel sizes. Hubby brought home a 24" x 48" 1/4" birch panel you'd of thought he'd brought home a diamond ring I got so excited! LOL So then I had to decide what sizes I wanted cut from it--he has a bench skill saw and loves to fire it up. Lucky me! I liked the 12 x 12 and 12 x 18 sizes too--the lantern was only 1/4" 8 x 10. I'm nearing completion on my small gourd then I can decide what subject I want to woodburn next.
Thank you again for all your help,
Kathy

[Colin_Partridge]

Kathy,
Dont know how I missed this thread, probably associated to age or something. I love your burning wow you can see how the lantern inspired you. You really captured the moment it is as if time had stood still. Really nice job gives me the feeling I just visited the antique road show.
Colin

[squbrigg]

Beautiful work Kathy! I am enjoying reading the messages between you and Susan, and am learning so much about design, shade and texture in burning. Thank you both!

Bob