We're donating a box to a fundraising benefit for The Octopus Club benefiting the Paul Kirby Foundation, which provides emergency financial support for HIV/AIDS patients in Central Texas. It's an Art Erotica art auction on April 5th in Austin. The art at auction there will all be of a titillating nature, and 100% of the proceeds go to the foundation. It's a great cause, and a great reason to buy a naughty piece of art, so go to the event. We made this one specially for it- we've always wanted a reason to make a sexy box. Below the "read more" break (which for some bizarre reason doesn't work on Facebook) are pictures of our contribution (if you're going to be offended by sexy bits, don't look).

 We will be showing this spring in April at Art City Austin on April 12-13, and Artscape in the Dallas Arboretum on April 26-27. Come out to eiher of these fine art shows at fabulous locations- downtown Austin or the gardens of he Dallas Arboretum- and see us!
Here is our new koi box, made of leopardwood, with an etched, goldleafed, and painted top and a lacquered base- it's so shiny that the koi are reflected in it. It's hinged.

Another new box: walnut root burl top on a mesquite box with wenge trim and ceramic skull details. Also, we're working on a 5-sided glass box featuring monkeys. Here are some of the pieces- it will be glass on all four sides and the top, etched with monkeys on branches. The wood connecting pieces will be of black wenge, and the inside base will be goldleafed.

And here is one of the side pieces for another mostly glass box: an art nouveau inspired fish and water lilies. The top will be etched lilypads.

Our newest box- another in our "story box" series- with artwork modified from Laura Barrett's illustrations. This is "Snow White" with Snow White and the wicked queen woodburned on the front. The queen, of course, is looking into her magic mirror, which is real mirror inlaid into the maple, surrounded by wenge and purpleheart framing and woodburned detail. The queen has a 22K goldleafed crown on. The top is framed in wenge. Inside is a woodburning of the wicked queen in disguise as the old woman, holding out the poisoned apple, which is painted in red epoxy paint. The box is walnut with wenge trim.

And below are two new glass etchings- a woman and dog at sunset (we love dogs but have no dog love boxes- we had to rectify this!), and a murder of crows. Both are painted black in the etch, and the dog glass is covered with colored epoxy for the sunset effect.

 New boxes (and at great prices)- a woodburned and painted parakeet on maple, with pecan sides. The grain of the wood really cooperated here by giving a feathery effect to the green paint on the stomach.  We are huge parakeet fans, although our two parakeets think we are disgusting, revolting beasts. We seem  not to be able to convince them that we are good guys.
Below, a cockatoo box, also woodburned and painted maple with pecan sides.

Also below, two new etched and painted glass jellyfish; I was looking for a "watercolor" effect by putting paint on the etch and then rubbing most of it off. These have a lovely, delicate feel to them- they will make  beautiful, mostly opaque box tops. They are finished with epoxy with paint swirled into it to give a watery effect.

Also, the beginnings of a new locking box with a steampunk feel: a cabinet box with a raised wooden raven on a woodbunred tree. The raven will hold an ornate brass key on a ribbon in his beak on the front. The key will unlock the walnut box, and the inside back will be a contrast to the starkness of the outside: a vivid rose with a hummingbird, butterfly, and beetle, all painted in iridescent paint. I do like contrasts.

Tentacled sea creatures abound- a pretty octopus: woodburned and painted maple top, ambrosia maple sides (the natural design on the wood looks tentacle-ish), and a blue lacquered inside base to match the color of the top.

And more experimenting with epoxy on glass below: etched mermaid and octopuses, stained dark in the etch and covered with colored epoxy, and goldfish, etched, goldleafed and stained in the etch.

Our newest box: walnut with woodburned and painted top and base. It's a "Contrast" box with (hopefully) a good deal of contrast between the top and the inside (shown below). It's now for sale.

Below, some of my first efforts at a new technique- epoxy painting on glass. These look great with light behind them:  yet more birds at sunset, etched and then stained dark, with a goldleafed sun and covered with colored epoxy. Also, a sihouette of birds and branches, etched, stained dark, then covered with colored epoxy.  When I feel comfortable with this technique, we'll make some boxes using it.

Here is our new box: birds etched in a circle on glass over a base painted as a sunset, with a 22K goldleafed sun. The base is very shiny, so the birds are reflected in it. The sides and top frame are curly maple, and this is my favorite box in a while. It's just stunning. It's in the same style as our Mahogany Koi Box, and these are so lovely that we'll definitely do more like them.

Below, more evidence of my current preoccupation with tentacles: an etched glass box top (I'm thinking a box like the sunset one, only with a deep blue base), and a woodburned octopus. I wish we could have an octopus as a pet, but I hear they're even worse pains in the ass than parrots.

And yet another etched glass tentacles endeavor: jellyfish. And in case you think I had forgotten all about bright birds, a woodburned and painted parakeet.

More parrot tops in my parrot series: an African Grey (to left), and a hyacinth macaw (below). These are both as usual: woodburned and painted maple. Both are gorgeous and intelligent birds- perhaps too smart for me to want to live with. Our dumb sweet eclectus is much more manageable to live with.

If you like any of these, let us know, and we'll build the box to suit your needs instead of building according to our whims.

Also below, a new glass etching inspired by the great Julie Speed and her wonderful painting War Bride. I would be so happy if I could afford to own a Julie Speed painting.

And now, a note on parrots:

Parrots are awesome, but they are EXACTLY like having a tiny dragon. No matter how awesome the bird, it will occasionally scream, bite HARD for no apparent reason, get hormonal and pissy, and generally be evil sometimes. Birds do not recognize your dominance over them. At all. You will be subservient to it. Get a parrot and you will be able to kiss bright feathers (if you are properly subservient), but you will also spend a great deal of time buying expensive organic produce, preparing it so the bird will eat it (for instance, if we want our parrot to eat green leaves, we must painstakingly wrap them around nuts in little packages). Then you will spend more time cleaning up the remnants of food that the bird has flung all over, and scrubbing poop off everything. But at the end of the day, I sit here with my parrot cooing on my shoulder, rubbing her head under my chin, and preening my hair, and it's worth it.

We're proud to announce that some of our boxes will be on display in the Austin ABIA airport starting in February; our airport is very good about supporting local artists, and we're thrilled to have been selected for exhibition.

Also, here is a really pretty new box: the top is maple, with woodburned ravens and a 22K goldleafed skull. I surrounded them with brass coils, and set the whole top in deep epoxy. The top and base are rimmed in dark wenge, and the sides are ziricote with maple biscuit joints. It has a brass lock and ornate brass key, and the inside bottom is lined with red suede. It's our first locking box, and we love it. The ziricote is as smooth as glass. Below is a picture of the inside.
Also below are new box tops and bases. First, the pieces for our new glass-topped box: birds etched in a circle over a base painted like a sunset, with a 22K goldleafed sun. The epoxy paint is so glossy that the birds are reflected in it. This will have curly maple sides and top frame.