Currently being worked in my workshop.
The Boudicca project has been long in the coming.
I have the time , which runs out fast and so this at least I can leave behind.
I am indigenous British , In Britain today this is almost an illegal statement .
The bosses , the owners of Blighty will have nothing of national sentiment nor cultural pride.
Of course they started that long ago .
Boudicca , I shall keep the spelling , like it or no , was a warrior queen , who upset the Roman occupiers and in so doing destroyed herself and her family .
But she and her daughters live on forever as cultural memories.
The Romans feared her , as did other tribes in the islands . Britain was always at war with itself and so was easily taken and is now again occupied land .
From Aberdeen to the last rocks of Cornwall . And across all of Ireland.
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The image of Boudicca is made of crushed soap stone laid into a man-made resin . The dried product is similar in working to soap stone or Alabaster .
The case is mahogany , dyed ( not stained , ) and painted. The backer board is Baltic ply which I used for stability . It should last well , indoors and away from heat cold and damp. I rarely use Plywood in my work , but in this case I wanted a board that would not warp while holding the portrait.
Currently the table is being decorated , the gesso being applied first . After that a design will be painted onto the gesso laid on the mahogany.
The wood is lacquered where it is black . About thirty coats .
A few months perhaps before she is ready for sale.
She is in her second year now .
- Dedication to Elizabeth .
This is the device sketch I shall use , almost finished . I decided the Celtic knot was more to my liking .This will allow metal leaf and some deep magenta and red.
This device and drawing are copyrighted .
Above the first color sketch for the device . The next step is to adjust the knotwork and make a decision as to how to apply w=the device to the gesso. I can use India ink , oil or Acrylic.
My preference are in that order.
But first a paper model will be made . Following.
