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.
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Our boxes now on exhibit in the Austin ABIA Airport! Plus: butterflies, koi, man-and-parrot love.2/9/2014 ![]() We now have an exhibit of our boxes in the the Austin ABIA Airport! Look for them just where you enter through the main security checkpoint in a pylon display case. These boxes will be in the exhibit until mid-May. We are available nearly every day for appointments at our woodshop in downtown Austin, so if you're visiting, give us a call (512-434-9171) to come see the boxes on these pages, or to discuss making a custom box. Also below, new glass etchings. First, a girl with butterflies. The butterflies are goldleafed in the etch and then painted. Also, a new koi fish etching: raindrop splatters etched on the top of the glass, and the fish etched underneath, goldleafed in the etch, and then painted with orange and black. And underneath, because they're both so gorgeous: Tom and Zazu. A man and a bird hanging out together. What could be nicer? ![]() 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.
![]() We just finished the glass and rosewood rose box- it took a bloody week, but it's done, and it's beautiful. The box is made of rosewood with wenge back legs and accents. The inside back is woodburned maple painted with iridescent paint and then lacquered- a hummingbird. Small magnets keep the hinged door from swinging open, and you open it with the silver rose pull. Surrounding it is an etched and carved glass rose. It's now for sale at the top of our "wood and glass boxes" page. Don't mind if I toot our own horn, but it's really fabulous- very detailed, and every side is beautiful. It put me in the mood for more hummingbirds. Also, below, a woodburning of a pair of herons in snow for the outside of a box, and a crow flying in the summer sun for the inside base of a "duality" box which also satisfies my current bird fervor: white bird/black bird, winter/summer, light/dark. Now I'm off to Manhattan for my holiday to attend opera (Tosca), theater (Betrayal with Daniel Craig), have Chistmas dinner at the Russian Tea Room, shop at Mood Fabric, and walk in Central Park. Suck it, everybody stuck elsewhere for Christmas! ![]() I'm in an very bird mood recently, and it's been cheering me to woodburn ravens- lots and lots of ravens. Beside and below are two new efforts: A goldleafed skull surrounded by ravens and brass coils, set in epoxy. And a goldleafed angel surrounded by ravens. I think these will probably become boxes- I love the goldleaf combined with the black woodburned ravens. Also below, a new box in the works- rosewood with a back of maple with a woodburned and painted hummingbird on it to surprise you when you open it. It will be surrounded by an etched and carved glass surround of a rose and leaves on a long, winding stem. The picture is of the box being clamped together, along with the glass rose surround. It will be just beautiful- with a rosewood door on the front with a silver rose pull to open it. |
AuthorTom Beach and Amanda Walker Archives
September 2015
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