Monday 18th November 2013

Have been back to the wood yard today to purchase one final piece of wood for my sampling before deciding whether i'm going to do them for the arts market.   I purchased timber that was not an off cut so it is smooth.   I have cut my picture to size and applied the medium gel to the wood and also the photograph, as previously written that I had discovered I should have been applying it to the photo as well.   So I don't know whether it will make a difference or not.   The wood cost me 90pence. 

Whilst cycling on the way I passed a tile shop and I thought I'd go get a couple of sample tiles to try photographs onto them.   I have no idea at all whether it will work, but for £1.09 I thought I would try it.  The wood soaks up the medium gel and I can't see that the tile will do this but that said i'm not sure the wood soaking up the gel is relevant.  

I did do a sample on a giant log but the log is still wet inside (because it had been stored outside in a yard so I think I will have to take my saw to it to make thinner pieces. 

I have today also cut my photograph to size using my paper cutter rather than using scissors which I rarely cut a straight line with.   These little things make all the difference to the quality of the end result.

The tile and the wood will be left overnight to dry now.

the timber drying off

the matt black tile drying off - you can see the medium gel that has spread whilst I was smoothing down

Last night, I spent some time knitting some bunting.   Very small pieces which I am thinking of putting onto my wooden pictures.   The bunting is shown below.  I knitted them using a striped cotton almost like an embroidery thread.   I picked them up at a sale somewhere because I knew they would come in useful for something.  They are what I would describe at candy striped pink/white, blue/white and purple and white.    I used part of a pattern for a petal for a flower.  I cast on 1 stitch then increased up to 10 and then 2 rows and then cast off.   I was thinking of what else I could make that is textile related to put onto the wood.   For the beach scenes I thought of a parasol.  A deckchair as well is of interest, but unsure yet how to make this.   One the car block I have done, I am going to add wheels from a toy car.  This one is allocated for my nephew for his birthday so it won't be sold, but it's a good way do sample without wasting them.  

The cars wooden block

knitted bunting on wood painted with the chalky emulsion deep sung cream

The tile that I did the sample on as it was drying out and below how it came out.  The gel medium simply dried and the residue could be peeled off

 



The final sample with bunting to see how it would look