"The Burning" 12 x 12 Mixed media on cradled wood panel

I recently attended a five day workshop with Pat Wheeler, hosted by Vancouver Island Art Workshops. It was hard physical work with much plastering, sanding, painting, sanding, plastering, transferring, sanding, waxing…well, you get the picture. I worked on 1 1/2" cradled wood panels, all of which  (from 12 x 12 to 24 x 24) were hand made, saving huge amounts of money. Okay, my husband shared the wood cutting for the sides. I had the surfaces cut at the lumber yard. (If you think you cannot 'do' this, I would add that it was all done by hand - no power tools. I've made pochade boxes the same way. Lumber yard cuts, and then hand work.) Anyway, back to the art…this piece evolved to represent the dreaded forest fires this spring, particularly in Alberta. It is very textured, with deep carving. It has multiple layers of paint and plaster, and is finished with coats of cold wax, polished to a soft sheen. It's always inspiring to step outside my own box.