Reflection of wooden plaque project

October 9, 2014

     I asked my daughter to pick up a piece of wood at the local craft store knowing that I needed to make a wedding gift for my nephew who is getting married this month.  She came home with a beautifully sanded and shaped piece that I knew would be perfect.  I have never painted on wood of this nature, so I felt that since I am striving to try as many different mediums as possible, I would give it a try.  I first had to sand it, but when I did, I found that some of the wood left cracks and crevices that needed to be filled with putty.  I happen to have the kind you mix with water, so I did that once or twice, until I got it right and had to sand in between applications.  After that, I gessoed the wood to prepare it for paint, and painted the whole top the color beige.  Then using a pencil, I drew on the pattern, before attempting to paint.  I free handed with the help of a curved C piece all along the edge of the board.  I used the computer to help make letter stencils which I had to cut out, because my free hand lettering skills would not have looked near as nice.  I painted with two of the colors I knew were two colors the bride liked, turquoise and purple, in interesting combination.  So their last name, Royalty, was done with one color being stronger than the other, and I did the opposite for Home Est. 2016.  It was fun doing the textured look, much less boring than one color.

     I used a pair of scissors that had been handed down to me from my Grandmother, that were specifically made to do the paper craft called Scherenschnitte.  I’d done our family portraits and framed them, and will always treasure what they represent.  So, the thought occurred to me that the couple might enjoy having their silhouettes on the plaque for a keep-sake.  This was the hardest part of the whole project.  The details of their profiles were tiny once I’d shrunk their pictures to fit the plaque, and I had difficulty putting it on the wood.  If I painted all the way to the line I’d drawn, they wouldn’t look right, because it would make their faces larger.  So I painted, then removed the lines I’d put down.  I used a paint called guache which I’d never used before.  It covered nicely, but also came up rather easily when I needed to remove some, which was good, but also challenging.  Finally, I spray lacquered the finished piece several times to protect it.

The portrait, being the most challenging, took the most time, and the most attention to detail.  In one of the art therapy books I’ve been reading, I was reminded, that learning to slow down in order to do a good job, is something I need to work on.  So this was my opportunity.  Not having a great paintbrush to do detail work, I ended up trying about five different brushes before I found one that did a good enough job. I began from the outside and worked my way toward the nose and chins, all the while talking to God and to myself.  I was asking Him to help me, and telling myself “I can do this”.  I had the faith that He would help me, and He did, so I’m happy and grateful. 

     I’m hoping that this plaque is enjoyed by my nephew and his new bride, but it means so much more than paint on a piece of wood.  I’m showing them that I love and support them in this new journey they are embarking on by giving them this labor of love.  The silhouette of them will always be a treasure, reminding them of their love and devotion to each other.  Strong healthy marriages take work, and they are not easy to come by these days. 

As far as using this art piece as an art therapy directive, my explanation of why is because of what it represents.  It’s a family treasure now.  I used my creativity to design the board, and picked something of meaning to place on the board, the family name, and the profiles of the couple getting married.  I allowed myself to spend hours completing this piece and showed my willingness to invest myself in their lives in this way.  I could have gone out and purchased a gift card, but that is impersonal, and this is not.  Allowing myself the privilege to be creative with the design to me was therapeutic.  I loved: creating the pattern; the actual application of the paint; using a new surface (wood) and new paint (guache), standing back to admire the work; and I look forward to the unwrapping of the gift knowing the many years of enjoyment and feelings of love it will express, love from me, and love toward each other.

I am attaching my family's silhouettes I completed about 12 years ago.

When you see the plaque of the couple, their picture is just there to show them but it’s not attached on the front.  I put it on the back.