Rugged with Classic Elegance

It was quite a stretch of time.Finally, I finished it! The design is a twisted tree branch sculpted around the body of the box. On top is a decoupaged picture of a naked woman enclosed with two stencil designs carved on opposite corners. It was quite a procedure doing this. Since  it was my first sculpted box, I wanted to keep a memory of this in a blog.

The theme as always was a challenge. But, I'm glad I blogged my previous activity, I'm constantly reminded on how to begin a project. I was already sure of myself that I wanted to sculpt so I browsed on books and looked for a simple design. Walla!!! the twisted tree branch caught my attention. It looked easy yet challenging, so I began.  

First, I applied  faux finish around the exterior of the box. Since I wasn't able to get a picture prior to carving, let me show you how a faux finish looked like  (this was actually my first faux box). It was the same procedure I applied. Instead of the brown color, I used thulian pink. I had to play with different color combination to come up with the color shade. I basically used wood stain, white acrylic, red and white oil paint.

After the faux dried, I drew the twisted branch design around the box. The drawing was my reference for carving. On the right shows my work table.  You can see my Dremel 4000 hanging conveniently in place, clamp light, pencil, Dremel bits inside the blue cases, my unfinished boxes. Now here, I want your attention on the bottom box because that's how the box looked like when I started carving the design. You  also notice my wood burning tool, the one with an orange handle. I didn't do any wood burning on this project, but since its in the picture, I may as well just  introduce all that's seen on the table. Of course, how can I work without my cup of coffee?...... Am i missing anything?
Normally, this table is covered with wood dust when I play with my Dremel.  

After I completely carved around the box, I attended to the top. I wanted to finish it with a classic, vintage appeal. I pulled one of my stencils, transferred it on the box and carved out the negative space. Nearly to finishing it, I focused on a clientele. All of a sudden, I focused on me. How would I have finished it if this was made for me? I was already in love with the carvings, the distressed surface and the color. It looked classic and vintage and generally feminine. Despite the distressed treatment , I wanted it to look soft and delicate. It was absolutely contrasting but can be done. So I picked a picture of a nude woman. I overlaid an oil paint mixture of  yellow ochre, white and orange that blended with the background of the picture and softened the texture on the top. The nudity was a bold expression of womanliness and that's what I wanted the box to possess.  I wanted it to make a statement if it was to be placed on a woman's dressing table. Finally, I finished it off by glazing the entire exterior with a clear satin polyurethane for a long lasting protection.  

If this box is to be personified, she is a beauty with a classic radiance, shrewdly flawed with a  rugged character that epitomize manly traits, however, doesn't overpower her sophisticated femininity.