Marquetry - The Healer

The Healer - pre-finish

I have been playing with my camera today, trying to take photographs that are accurate in color but without the problem of "shine".  It's very difficult to get a good photo of these pictures when they are finished even without a flash.  The lacquer shines even without any direct lighting making it so hard to get an accurate portrayal of the finished piece.  Unfortunately without the finish, the true colors don't shine through.

I did this piece a couple of years ago but never got pictures of her sprayed.  I call this piece The Healer.  She carries the world in her hands.  We all have the capacity to heal ourselves and therefore our own worlds.  It is that idea that inspired this piece.  The world in her hands is made of two kinds of shell veneer- one layer of paua shell and tiny pieces of grinaco mexico shell that make up the continents.  The piece is made from Rainbowed poplar, pear wood, oak, walnut, dyed poplar, white anagre, and silver dyed lacewood.  Face and hand details are done with Lyra colored pencils.

The Healer - lacquer finish

Figure detail

In the figure detail picture the shine shows with white lines on the edges of her cloak and in her hair.

I have shared the unfinished pictures on the MJF forum but this is the first time I have shared the finished pictures.