[Irish]

Kathy, You asked what I was working on right now ...

I don't have anything up on the table at the moment but here is one that I finsihed just a couple of weeks ago for the website.

I made a major mistake for my style of burning ... If you look at the background trees on the burn only image you will see that I picked up the large shader tip and used it to try and tone in the trees real quick. Cross hatching and texturing can take time and I was in a hurry to finish the background before I quit working for the day ... talk about a dabbled mess! that doesn't match any other burning in the picture!!

But ... It lead to a fun "discovery" for me. The scroll saw frame design was intended for something else. When I went to cut it out my mind has a moment of clarity and I thought ... that's just what I need to hide the shader work and not have to start all over again. I think the two crafts, burning and scroll saw go together really well and am going to use that one again.

Susan

[squbrigg]

Good job hiding it Susan. You were congratulating me yesterday for balancing the tea tray design using the grass on the right.......the grass is hiding a pencil line that just wouldn't go away! I had cut and marked the tray so many times, trying to get the angles right , that when I finally got it, there was a deep pencil line about 1/8" in from the right edge remaining. I burned in the fairy, then the toadstools, butterfly and the thing stood out like a sore thumb! Hummm.....how about some tall grass or reeds to disguise it? It worked and I agree, it does balance the image. You would almost think that I knew what I was doing....but we both know better!!!

Bob

[Irish]

Isn't it amazing how problems seems to turn on the creativity ... thinking out of the box! Now, if you hadn't told me that story Bob I would never have known that grass wasn't anything but well thought out, in advance, composition and design.

Susan

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I like the overlay of the scrollwork.....good job! Now take a look at my post in general carving about what to do with those old scrollsaw blades ha ha.......

[Ashbys]

I didn't know we made mistakes!


I thought they were just imprompted design changes !


Ash

[Mottles]

What a terrific frame for your woodburning and it really lends itself to the composition. Your shader tree's are made less important by the use of the frame. I hope you will incorporate more of this type frame. idea!
By the way this is a good lesson for me as I do think it is easy to error with these shaders. I do enjoy using mine but I really have to be careful and not get carried away. Snork!
Wanted to tell you I enjoyed your 'Relief Column' in the latest WCI magazine. Your drawing and shading ability is top notch.
Kathy

[Irish]

Thanks Kathy, and thanks for the nice words about the article! Sometimes I'm not sure which I enjoy more doing the burnings or talking about the art behind the burnings

I know that for me that shader is worthless ... now! I am saying that for me and me only. I just don't like the way it leaves an uneven area. I know that if I had gone ahead and done most of the shading with the shader then added my texture over it the project probably would have come out fine. But once it hits the board I am unhappy.

It was one of those times when I was saying, "No, no. no Susan", even as I picked up that tip.

But ... it did have good results by making me create the scroll frame ...

Susan

[Donna_T]

There are NO MISTAKES. They are just "OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, FEXABILITY, AND CREATIVITY." WHen projects don't go quite as planned, just make up a better story or improvise. I love your improvising, Susan. And Bob's adaptation was cool, too.

I never pitch a project that didn't go well--just change parts of it. And if worst comes to worst, there's always a kid or grandkid who wants it and thinks it's great!

Donna T