Outside the box

This is a little segue from my usual work...but something I am very excited about.


A friend has given me a wooden trinket box - very plain and basic and obviously handmade 20-odd years ago, to restore and decorate. I thought I would share the restoration on here.

It is made of ply (I think) and what looks like a recycled drawer. The inside has a crude tray and the entire box is about 12" x 9" x 7" deep.First job was to remove the hinges and clasp...not an easy task as they had clearly been in a while. Not something you can use a power tool on!!
The hinges were once brass I think....
So time for some trusty brasso courtesy of Evenlode DIY and 3 episodes of the Simpsons later....voila!











Now for the box itself....

I already know what design I am going to paint.
The background is going to be green-gold and the design aboriginal in style.

So 3 coats of gold over primer to start with:














And next the first layers of phthalo green and sap green....














The entire process of layering gold and greens will have to be repeated a few times to build up the intense effect. Then it will be time to start overpainting the picture. Watch this space!!

Time to reveal what the big red is about.

The original design was inspired by a calendar featuring aboriginal art. I am endlessly fascinated by dreamtime stories and thought I might paint a dreamtime of my own.

So I am going to add geckos to this peice.

The Gecko (Murtoa) is a small adaptable lizard, with the ability to camouflage itself to suit its varying surroundings. Should a Gecko lose its tail in a fight or an attack, it can regrow its tail. Although it is only a small lizerd, the Gecko can survive in very harsh conditions. All these attributes contribute to the Geckos survival.

Murtoa (Gecko) Dreaming represents adaptability, regeneration, strength and survival. Its lesson to us, is to make the best of a situation. In order to survive, one needs to be able to adapt, regenerate strength and go on, like the Gecko.

Idon't have my camera at the moment, but I'll update with a picture as soon as I can.

Wishing stones

Being inspired (again) by my love of aboriginal art. These are my wishing stones.


They might not make much sense. But they do to me. Each one represents a wish I've made and a stone I've collected and this picture serves as a reminder to me in my studio that anything is possible if you believe it to be.